Deidre Shauna Lynch

Deidre Shauna Lynch is a distinguished scholar and professor of English Literature, currently teaching at Harvard University. She is a leading authority on the history of the novel, 18th-century literature, and the works of Jane Austen. Lynch is the author of Loving Literature: A Cultural History and The Economy of Character, seminal works that explore how our relationship with books has evolved over centuries. She challenges the assumption that we have always "loved" literature in the way we do now, tracing the emotional and social roots of reading.\n\nLynch’s work is known for its deep archival research and theoretical sophistication. She serves as an editor for Norton Critical Editions, helping to curate and annotate classic texts for new generations of students. Her scholarship bridges the gap between the history of feelings and the history of the book market. Lynch investigates how characters in novels became "real" to readers and how reading became a defining aspect of the inner life. She is a formidable academic voice who asks us to question why we read and how literature shapes our understanding of the self. Her writing is essential for anyone interested in the sociology of reading and the endurance of the literary canon.