Kate Sykes

My research focuses on the creation and regulation of communities in the early and central middle ages. In particular, I am interested in double monasteries – religious communities which housed both men and women – and the ways in which the monastic life was gendered in both theory and practice. I draw on a variety of methodological approaches, from anthropology and sociology to psychoanalytic theory, to explore a broad range of textual and material sources. I have recently finished my second book, which explores the relationship between monasteries and families in Early Medieval England.

I did my undergraduate degree in History at Oxford, moved to the University of York for a MA in Medieval Studies, then returned to Oxford for a DPhil in Medieval History. I then held a series of teaching and research posts in Oxford before coming to Birmingham in September 2016.