Simon Smets

First name: 
Simon
Last name: 
Smets
Title: 
MA
Position: 
Researcher
Email: 
Simon.Smets@neolatin.lbg.ac.at

 

Simon Smets’ main interests lie in humanist epistolary literature, Neo-Latin epic and Quattrocento literary culture in general. He read Classics at Ghent University, where he finished his BA with a dissertation on Marsilio Ficino’s letters under the supervision of Professor Wim Verbaal. He moved to University College London to be enrolled in the Medieval and Renaissance Studies MA. There, he complemented his literary background with a more historical approach to the Italian Renaissance. This resulted in an MA thesis on again Ficino’s letters, which was supervised by Professor Gesine Manuwald.

In February 2019, Simon came to the LBI in order to work with Dr Anna Chisena and Professor Florian Schaffenrath in the FWF funded project on Basinio da Parma’s epic poem Hesperis. He is currently finishing the English translation of this poem, and preparing the introduction and commentary. At the same time, Simon is working on a PhD project that investigates authorship and narrative design in Renaissance Latin letter collections. He is supervised by Professor Gesine Manuwald and Em. Professor Dilwyn Knox.

Simon teaches modules on Neo-Latin and the reception of the classical tradition to advanced undergraduate students at the University of Innsbruck.

He is also the LBI’s representative on the organising committee of the Scientific Research Network “Literatures without Borders. A Historical-Comparative Study of Premodern Literary Transnationality.”

 

Publications