Natalie Hopwood

@nrhopwood

Medievalist and Comics Historian PhD Candidate working on an intertextual analysis of monster encounters with dragons, dwarfs, and the undead in Old Norse fantastical sagas at the University of Leeds

215 Folgt235 Follower70 Posts

Bluesky

Ist das dein Profil?Übernimm es — dann gehört dir nrhopwood.dirty.social.Profil übernehmen

Natalie Hopwood@nrhopwood· Jul 13

For those already excited for #IMC2027, @marycoconnor.bsky.social and I are organizing sessions on 'The Literary Communities of Old Norse and Icelandic Romance'! 🌟If you would like to get involved, please submit a 250 word abstract and short bio by 18th September 🌟 #medievalsky

The Literary Communities of Old Norse and Icelandic Romance
Through the translation of Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Historia regum Britannaie and the efforts of Hákon Hákonarson, king of Norway (r. 1217-1263), romance reached the Medieval North where it soon took hold of the Scandinavian imagination. Old Norse translations of Old French romances were copied and transmitted from Norway to Iceland. These romances soon inspired a wave of new literary creations, leading to the production of Icelandic chivalric romances and later ballads and rimur, alongside potentially influencing other literary genres. These narratives were amongst the most popular stories read and received amongst medieval and later Icelandic communities as the manuscript preservation attests. And yet they continue to be amongst the most understanded communities of texts within Old Norse literary studies. This session seeks to respond to this gap in scholarship and invite papers which investigate these texts, challenging former assumptions and opening up new avenues of scholarship on these texts.

Suggested themes and topics may include but are not limited to:

· Chivalric romances, fornaldarsögur
· Translation (Old Norse and Old Swedish)
· Literary communities
· Gender
· Emotions
· Genre
· Families/ genealogies
· Travel/ geography
· Marginalised identities
· Manuscript reception and transmission
· Society and hierarchy
· Ethnicity and religion
· Monsters
· Transgression
Please submit an abstract of no more than 250 words and a brief biography by Friday 18th September to Mary Catherine O’Connor (mary.oconnor@balliol.ox.ac.uk) and Natalie Hopwood (ennrho@leeds.ac.uk)

Natalie Hopwood@nrhopwood· Jul 9

#IMC2026 is over! With moderating two great panels on comics, giving a paper on comparative dragon episodes, and chairing the @necron-network.bsky.social roundtable, it was busy busy but oh so fun! Thank you to everyone who came to one of my many events and already looking forward to 2027!

Natalie Hopwood@nrhopwood· Jul 1

On Sunday 5th July, I’ll be a guest on the Nordic Mythology podcast to talk about all things monsters! Just in time to get everyone excited for IMC 🐉 More info here: www.instagram.com/p/DaQt_yQjDz... #medievalsky

Natalie Hopwood@nrhopwood· Jul 1

Happening at @imc-leeds.bsky.social next week: On Tuesday, I'm running two panels on Medieval Temporalities and Comics with six great speakers 🥳 On Wednesday, I'll be presenting at @marycoconnor.bsky.social and @jonasza4.bsky.social's panel AND chairing @necron-network.bsky.social's roundtable!

Natalie Hopwood@nrhopwood· May 28

Happy to report that I was successful in getting a PRiSE D1 Associate Fellowship in higher education teaching! Glad to know I have done something right teaching undergrads 😅

Natalie Hopwood@nrhopwood· May 7

Next week (14th May) @necron-network.bsky.social will be hosting an online talk by @kakapitan.bsky.social on Internationalisation in Academia! Open to all NECRON members! #medievalsky #oldnorse Follow the link below to register: forms.office.com/Pages/Respon...

NECRON talk on 14th May at 17:00 GMT by Dr Katarzyne Anna Kapitan

Title: 'On a Viking in the 21st Century: Internationalisation in Academia'

Natalie Hopwood@nrhopwood· Mar 12

On 23rd March, I'll be hosting a roundtable with the Folk Union on 'The Myth of the Vikings' along with @shieldofskuld.bsky.social and Adam Parsons (Oxford Archaeology)! Hope to see many of you there! You can buy tickets here: www.tickettailor.com/events/thefo... #medievalsky #oldnorse #vikings

promotional poster for The Myth of the Vikings folkmoot, held on 23rd March at 7pm GMT

Natalie Hopwood@nrhopwood· Feb 10

My very first book review has been published by @fafnirjournal.bsky.social! Even better, you can read it and all of the other lovely articles and reviews for this issue here: fafnir.journal.fi/issue/view/1... #medievalsky #bookreview #tolkienstudies

Screenshot of book review of Richard Z. Gallant's 'Germanic Heroes, Courage, and Fate: Northern Narratives of Tolkien's Legendarium' by Natalie Hopwood, published by Fafnir: Nordic Journal of Science Fiction and Fantasy Research

Natalie Hopwood@nrhopwood· Nov 28

Looks like I’m gonna be very busy at #IMC2026 @imc-leeds.bsky.social We’ve got comics, dragons, and Old Norse galore! #medievalsky #comics

Natalie Hopwood@nrhopwood· Nov 5

I’m very excited to talk about one of my favourite sagas with @ihrhistorylab.bsky.social on 27th November! It’s online, so please sign up and come along, it’ll be a great, dragon-y time 🐉

Natalie Hopwood@nrhopwood· Oct 30

Spread the word! A new postgraduate and early career researcher seminar series at @universityofleeds.bsky.social! For those studying the Late Antique, Medieval, and Early Modern periods. We look forward to reading your proposals! #medievalsky #earlymodern #lateantique

Natalie Hopwood@nrhopwood· Aug 28

@necron-network.bsky.social is coming to @imc-leeds.bsky.social 2026! This in-person roundtable is open to all current NECRON members. To get involved, email Natalie Hopwood (ennrho@leeds.ac.uk) with a short bio and a brief overview of what you want to say by 15th Sept.

Natalie Hopwood@nrhopwood· Aug 18

If you see this, post a character you love and a character you...tolerate (Is there any other way to do this than the great Maddie v Jean debate?)

Natalie Hopwood@nrhopwood· Aug 11

Medieval Temporalities and Comics @imc-leeds.bsky.social 6th-9th July 2026 Co-organized by Natalie Hopwood, University of Leeds and Michael A. Torregrossa, Bristol Community College (The Medieval Comics Project)

Natalie Hopwood@nrhopwood· Jun 30

One week until IMC! I’ll be roundtabling on Monday with “How to Conference” and presenting on Tuesday with “Shedding Skin: Human Face and Monstrous Bodies in Old Norse Sagas”! Come see me chat about conference advice AND people tearing their skin to become dragons! @imc-leeds.bsky.social

Natalie Hopwood@nrhopwood· Jun 3

Reading the Ostrander run on The Spectre and Todd Klein’s lettering choices are some of the best I’ve ever scene in a comic before! Spectre himself, Michael, Etrigan, etc. Everyone gets something unique and really shows off the supernatural elements in the story!