Emma Stafford | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | British |
| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | University of Cambridge, University College London |
| Academic work | |
| Discipline | Culture of Greece, Classical reception studies |
| Institutions | University of Leeds |
| Notable works | Worshipping Virtues: Personification and the Divine in Ancient Greece |
Emma Stafford is Professor of Greek Culture at the University of Leeds.[1] Her work focuses on Heracles/Hercules and his reception.
Stafford read classics at New Hall, University of Cambridge (1987–90) and began her PhD at University College London in 1991.[1] Following appointments at Royal Holloway, Birkbeck, the University of Leicester, and the University of Wales, Lampeter, Stafford moved to the University of Leeds in 2000 and became a Senior Lecturer in 2005.
Stafford was appointed Professor of Greek Culture in 2020, becoming the first female professor of Classics at the University of Leeds.[2]
Stafford's work focuses on Greek cultural history and she specialises in myth, allegory, personification, religion, and the reception of Greek culture.[3] She has worked extensively on the myth and reception of Hercules, including numerous publications through research at the University of Leeds, much of which, like Herculean Labours: enriching the public understanding of our classical mythological heritage (2005-2012) has a public engagement dimension.[4]
Building on previous work on Hercules, Stafford now leads the AHRC funded Hercules: a Hero for all Ages project, which aims to chart the significance of the reception of Hercules from the late antique period to modern times.[5][6] As part of her work, Stafford has spoken widely on the subject including public lectures at Leeds City Museum.[7]
The Hercules Project has extensive public outreach activities, including a new musical drama, Herakles, composed by Tim Benjamin which premiered in Todmorden Town Hall in April 2017.[8][9][10][11] Stafford also coordinated The Labours of Herakles touring exhibition, displayed at Leeds City Museum and the Museum of Classical Archaeology, Cambridge, featuring the work of Marian Maguire.[12][13]
