Harnessing the Power of Stories: Using Literature in History
I have always been interested in literature. This was one of the reasons I decided to do a joint undergraduate degree in history and English at university. Aside from the benefit of being able to avoid the worst core modules in each subject (something any student will tell you is not to be undervalued), my joint degree also introduced me to the intricate relationship that exists between history and literature. In every piece of research I have undertaken since I have been drawn towards literature in some form. From my undergraduate dissertation on post-colonial Maori religion in New Zealand to my current PhD research focusing on medieval Scotland there is always at least one literary source that has found its way into my bibliography pages. You may think this a perfectly natural thing to do, but the relationship between history and literature is by no means straightforward. The question that most obviously arises is: ‘what exactly is the difference between a ‘literary’ text and a wri