A view of singleton campus including singleton park and the beach, with the sea stretching into the horizon.

Dr Alison Williams

Honorary Appointment (Humanities and Social Sciences)

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

+44 (0) 1792 295409

a.j.williams@swansea.ac.uk

Available For Postgraduate Supervision

About

I am an Associate Professor of French in the Department of Modern Languages, Translation and Interpreting and have taught in Higher Education since 1995. I teach modules in French language and culture to undergraduate students and Advanced French-English Translation on our MA programmes: Professional Translation and Translation and Interpreting. I draw on my research specialisms in medieval literature and culture in teaching and supervising dissertations on the MA in Medieval Studies. I welcome postgraduate research proposals on medieval literature and am currently supervising research projects on Parzival and Middle English romance.

I have a particular interest in the medical humanities and have undertaken research on Rabelais and Marie de France in connection with this field. In addition, I have published on humour in medieval and early modern literature and on literary representations of history in medieval romance.

I am a Senior Fellow of the HEA and have a CELTA. I am committed to pedagogical innovations in language teaching and Medieval Studies.

Areas Of Expertise

Medieval literature
Early modern literature
Medical Humanities
Translation
Pedagogy

Publications

Research Highlights

Williams, A. (2021). “Acquiers toy parfaicte cognoissance de l'aultre monde, qui est l'homme”: Rabelais, the history of medicine, and medical humanism. Essays in French Literature and Culture, 58, 121-137.
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa58416
https://essaysinfrenchliteratureandculture.com/alison-williams-acquiers-toy-parfaicte-cognoissance-de-laultre-monde-qui-est-lhomme-rabelais-the-history-of-medicine-and-medical-humanism-essays-in-french/
Williams, A. (2021). Embodied Laughter: Rabelais and the Medical Humanities. In Daniel Derrin, Hannah Burrows (Ed.), The Palgrave Handbook of Humour, History, and Methodology (pp. 293-312). Springer International Publishing
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56646-3_15, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa56951
Bryan, R., Aronson, J., Williams, A., & Jordan, S. (2021). A systematic literature review of LASA error interventions. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 87(2), 336-351.
https://doi.org/10.1111/bcp.14644, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55657
Williams, A. (2012). Stories within Stories: Writing History in 'Fouke le Fitz Waryn'. Medium Aevum, 81(1), 70-87.
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa11165
Williams, A. (2007). Courtly Lady, Starving Spouse and Partner in Crime: The Shifting Roles of Hermeline in the Roman de Renart. Nottingham French Studies, 46(1), 1-16.
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa33891
Williams, A. (2006). Sick Humour, Healthy Laughter: The Use of Medicine in Rabelais's Jokes. Modern Language Review, 101(3), 671-681.
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa33890
Williams, A. (2007). Manipulating the Past for the Sake of the Future: Optimistic Perspectives in the Outlaw Romance Fouke le Fitz Waryn. New Zealand Journal of French Studies, 28(1), 19-31.
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa33893
Williams, A. (2000). Tricksters and Pranksters: Roguery in French and German Literature of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance Rodopi.
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa33889
Williams, A. (2000). Ritual in Branch XVII of the Roman de Renart (Mort et Procession Renart): A Key to a Carnivalesque Reading of the Texts?. Modern Language Review, 95, 954-963.
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa33892

All Research

Journal Articles

Williams, A. (2021). “Acquiers toy parfaicte cognoissance de l'aultre monde, qui est l'homme”: Rabelais, the history of medicine, and medical humanism. Essays in French Literature and Culture, 58, 121-137.
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa58416
https://essaysinfrenchliteratureandculture.com/alison-williams-acquiers-toy-parfaicte-cognoissance-de-laultre-monde-qui-est-lhomme-rabelais-the-history-of-medicine-and-medical-humanism-essays-in-french/
Bryan, R., Aronson, J., Williams, A., & Jordan, S. (2021). A systematic literature review of LASA error interventions. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 87(2), 336-351.
https://doi.org/10.1111/bcp.14644, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa55657
Williams, A. (2012). Stories within Stories: Writing History in 'Fouke le Fitz Waryn'. Medium Aevum, 81(1), 70-87.
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa11165
Williams, A. (2007). Courtly Lady, Starving Spouse and Partner in Crime: The Shifting Roles of Hermeline in the Roman de Renart. Nottingham French Studies, 46(1), 1-16.
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa33891
Williams, A. (2007). Manipulating the Past for the Sake of the Future: Optimistic Perspectives in the Outlaw Romance Fouke le Fitz Waryn. New Zealand Journal of French Studies, 28(1), 19-31.
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa33893
Williams, A. (2006). Sick Humour, Healthy Laughter: The Use of Medicine in Rabelais's Jokes. Modern Language Review, 101(3), 671-681.
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa33890
Williams, A. (2000). Ritual in Branch XVII of the Roman de Renart (Mort et Procession Renart): A Key to a Carnivalesque Reading of the Texts?. Modern Language Review, 95, 954-963.
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa33892

Authored Books

Williams, A. (2000). Tricksters and Pranksters: Roguery in French and German Literature of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance Rodopi.
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa33889

Book Chapters

Williams, A. (2021). Embodied Laughter: Rabelais and the Medical Humanities. In Daniel Derrin, Hannah Burrows (Ed.), The Palgrave Handbook of Humour, History, and Methodology (pp. 293-312). Springer International Publishing
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56646-3_15, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa56951

Key Grants and Projects

François Rabelais: Medical Humanist 2011 - 2013

, Supported by the Wellcome Trust