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What are the Durham Collections Fellowships?

The aim of the Durham Collections Fellowships is to enable and foster research across the three historic collections of Durham — those held by Durham University, Durham Cathedral and Ushaw Historic House, Chapels and Gardens, all of which have internationally significant collections of books and other materials that deserve to be brought to a wider scholarly and public audience.

In addition to libraries this includes archives, collections of visual and material culture, and architectural assets.

Together these collections contain:

  • 450 medieval manuscripts books
  • over 130,000 rare and early printed books
  • around 6,000 meters/shelves of archives
  • 107,000 museum objects and works of art
  • Over 40,000 archaeological artefacts
  • 9,000 bio-science specimens

Visiting Fellowships

The purpose of the Visiting Fellowships is to support research into these globally significant collections.

By bringing together these three collections, the Durham Collections Fellowships intend to foster research on material held at Durham, to create an international fellowship of scholars whose research interests have brought them to us, and to showcase the collections to a wider audience.

Our past fellows

Since 2018 the Durham Collections Fellowships has shared its collections with a global scholarly audience through its fellowships

2018/19

Rosemary Mitchell

Holland Visiting Fellowship

Leeds Centre for Victorian Studies, England

2021/22

Simon Sandall

DRRL Visiting Fellowship

University of Winchester, England

2022/23

Gian Luca Amadei

Barker Visiting Fellowship

Royal College of Art, Italy

2024/25

Alexandros Tsakos

Lendrum Book Visiting Fellowship

University of Bergen, Norway

2023/24

Martina Kastnerova

Barker Visiting Fellowship

University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, Czech Republic and Slovakia

2022/23

Professor Carla Mazzarelli

Barker Visiting Fellowship

Università della Svizzera italiana,, Italy

2022/23

Hillary Taylor

Barker Visiting Fellowship

University of Cambridge, England

2019/20

Peter Phillips

Holland Visiting Fellowship

2018/19

Liz Goodwin

Holland Visiting Fellowship

University of York, England

2022/23

Raad Khair Allah

Barker Visiting Fellowship

University of Warwick, England

2021/22

Christopher Sevara

Barker Visiting Fellowship

Newcastle University, England

2025/26

Barry Shiels

Smithsonian Fellowship

Department of English Studies, Durham University,

2021/22

Earle Havens

Holland Visiting Fellowship

John Hopkins University, USA

2022/23

James Le Sueur

Barker Visiting Fellowship

University of Nebraska, USA

2022/23

Irina Podgorney

2018/19

Sophie Battell

Holland Visiting Fellowship

University of Exeter, England

2022/23

DrJames McGrath

Barker Visiting Fellowship

Butler University Indianapolis, USA

2021/22

Katherine Rush

Barker Visiting Fellowship

University of California, USA

2023/24

Ellen Smith

Holland Visiting Fellowship

University of Leicester, United Kingdom

2021/22

Dr Shaun Blanchard

DRRL Visiting Fellowship

Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University, USA

Research

Through the Durham Collections Fellowship's prestigious fellowships program, scholars have the opportunity to undertake ambitious research projects.

DCF takes pride in fostering this environment, where expert researchers are given the resources and time to delve deeply into complex topics and share their findings with the world. Whether through conferences, lectures, publications, or informal discussions in historic halls, DCF is a hub of world-class research and engagement.

Centuries of History

The Durham Collections Fellowships draw on the historic collections of three venerable Durham institutions—Durham Cathedral, Ushaw Historic House, Chapels and Gardens, and Durham University—each with a rich history spanning many centuries.

Durham Cathedral, with manuscripts dating back to the 6th century; Ushaw House and Chapels holding over 40,000 rare printed works accumulated since the 16th century; Ushaw Historic House, Chapels and Gardens holding over 40,000 rare printed works accumulated since the 16th century; Durham University’s Palace Green Library which includes Cosin's Library, founded in the 17th century as the first public lending library in the Northeast and which served as the university’s main library for 150 years before transitioning to special collections in the 1980s. Together these collections offer rich resources for research spanning many centuries.