Queen Mary University of London appoints new Head of School

A professor of Modern British History, she joins Queen Mary University of London from University of East Anglia, where she has previously served as Director of Research for the School of History and Deputy Dean for Research in the Faculty of Humanities, as well as earlier admissions and PGR leadership roles. She is currently President of the Royal Historical Society (RHS).

Now well-known for her world-leading research and public history work on British social and economic history of the 18^th and 19^th centuries, Emma began her life as an academic historian with an undergraduate degree from our own school in Queen Mary University of London (then called Queen Mary and Westfield College).

Professor Griffin is the author of five books, most recently Bread Winner: An Intimate History of the Victorian Economy, published by Yale UP in 2020, as well as many articles, essays and reviews in both academic and non-academic publications. She is currently working on a book provisionally entitled Industrial Revolutions: A World History for Penguin Press / Allen Lane.

She is a frequent contributor to radio and television and has written and presented several Radio 4 documentaries on diverse aspects of her research, from the history of foxhunting to the industrial revolution, to the gender pay gap and its history. She was a historical advisor for the Channel 4 drama, The Mill and co-presented 'The Real Mill' with Tony Robinson on More4. She has appeared as an expert contributor on several radio and television programmes, including BBC1’s Who Do You Think You Are? and Radio 4's In Our Time.

Commenting on the appointment, Vice-Principal for Humanities and Social Sciences, Professor Frances Bowen said: “We are delighted to welcome Professor Emma Griffin as the new head of the School of History at Queen Mary University of London. Her exceptional scholarship, dedication to academic excellence, and visionary leadership will undoubtedly guide our School of History to even greater heights. With Professor Griffin at the helm, we are confident that the school will continue to flourish as a hub of historical scholarship, nurturing the next generation of historians, and making invaluable contributions to our understanding of the past. We look forward to the exciting journey ahead under her guidance."