Chevening British Library Coptic Collections Fellowship

Overview 

The Chevening British Library Coptic Collections Fellowship is co-funded by the British Library and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

It is open to applications from mid-career professionals from Egypt, Palestine, and Sudan, who have a strong interest in Coptic manuscript heritage and cultural collections.

The British Library holds one of the world’s most significant collections of Coptic manuscripts, comprising hundreds of complete and fragmentary codices, as well as papyrus, parchment, and paper fragments documenting more than 1,500 years of Coptic history, theology, and literary culture. This internationally important collection provides unique insights into the history of Christianity, Egypt’s cultural heritage, manuscript production, and scholarly traditions.

The fellowship will take place at the British Library, where you will work closely with Dr. Michael Erdman, Head of Asian and African Studies (interim) to lead a research project.

You will use your language skills, subject expertise, and professional experience to survey the British Library’s Coptic holdings, enhance catalogue records, investigate collection provenance, and develop new opportunities for public and community engagement.

Duration 

The duration of this fellowship is 12 months.

• Start: September 2027
• End: September 2028

More about the programme

Many parts of the British Library’s Coptic collections remain difficult to discover because a comprehensive overview of the holdings has never been produced. This fellowship offers a unique opportunity to address this challenge by contributing to the documentation, interpretation, and promotion of these remarkable manuscripts.

Working with manuscript collections that span over 15 centuries, you will help improve access to valuable resources. You will also contribute to a growing programme of provenance research that seeks to better understand the history of the collections and their acquisition.

This fellowship also supports the British Library’s work with the London Diocese of the Coptic Orthodox Church, creating opportunities to engage directly with heritage communities while developing new ways of sharing knowledge about the collections.

Fellows will have the opportunity to:

• Survey the British Library’s Coptic collections and identify gaps in existing cataloguing and documentation.
• Create and enhance catalogue records using manuscript evidence and existing metadata.
• Research, document, and analyse the provenance of manuscripts to improve understanding of the history and acquisition of the collections.
• Organise and contribute to events with Coptic community members and researchers.
• Produce blogs, reports, and other outputs that raise awareness of the Library’s Coptic collections.
• Contribute to public engagement activities that promote wider access to, and understanding of, Coptic heritage.

Fellows will gain:

• Experience working with one of the world’s leading research libraries and cultural heritage institutions.
• Opportunities to increase their international academic and professional profile.
• Specialist experience in manuscript cataloguing, provenance research, and collections documentation.
• Practical experience of planning and delivering community and public engagement activities around heritage collections.
• The opportunity to contribute to the future accessibility and interpretation of a globally significant collection.

Eligibility criteria

In addition to meeting our standard eligibility criteria, you must:

• Be citizens of Egypt, Sudan, or Palestine. Applicants should normally be resident in one of these countries, however citizens of these countries who are resident elsewhere in the Middle East and North Africa region in Chevening eligible, ODA-eligible countries (Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen) may also apply. Applicants must demonstrate a clear intention to return to and contribute to their country of citizenship following the fellowship and must return there for at least one year after the fellowship ends 
• Have a postgraduate level qualification (or equivalent professional training or experience in a relevant area) at the time of application
• Have significant professional and/or academic research experience (at least five years)
• Be currently employed or enrolled as a PhD candidate (your PhD must not be with a UK/EU or USA university)
• Have excellent knowledge of Coptic (Sahidic or Bohairic), with knowledge of Arabic and/or Greek desirable
• Have good written and spoken English, with the ability to communicate research findings effectively
• Have experience of cataloguing and handling manuscript collections, with knowledge of manuscript description standards
• Have experience of provenance research and documentation, or a demonstrable interest in this area
• Have experience of working with heritage communities or delivering engagement activities related to cultural heritage collections

Funding and benefits 

Each fellowship includes:

• 12-month period of project-based activity at the British Library
• Living expenses for the duration of the fellowship
• Return economy airfare
• Allowance package for fellowship-related activities
• Up to £1,000 for approved project-related expenses