Simon Chaplin

Biography

Simon is a PhD student at Northeastern University London, under the supervision of Professor Lars Kjaer. He holds a BA in Human Geography and an MA in Crusader Studies at Royal Holloway University of London. Simon’s research focuses on how the crusades and crusading shaped the political, cultural and intellectual development of England during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. It covers the exploration of crusading memory and the commemoration of the crusades, with a particular emphasis on how the First Crusade and its leadership were commemorated by Anglo-Norman monastic writers and aristocrats, be it via textual, visual, material or ritual means. An important aspect of his project is to explore the crusades and its impact on noble families, whether through personal experience, as a dynastic tradition or through ties of kinship, and how this may have shaped political ideas and action amongst England’s elites. Simon has co-taught an interdisciplinary humanities workshop at Northeastern University’s summer school programme for year 11 students.