Staff profile

I studied French and Philosophy at Christ Church, University of Oxford, and went on to complete a PhD on French Literature at Birkbeck, University of London, in 2011. I then spent a year back at Christ Church as a Temporary Lecturer, and three semesters at the University of St Andrews as a Teaching Fellow and Lecturer, before arriving in Durham in January 2014. 

My research focuses on nineteenth-century French literature, especially poetry. I am interested primarily in questions of exoticism and nationalism. I recently completed my first monograph, Laforgue, Philosophy, and Ideas of Otherness, which deals with the reception of German philosophy in the work of the late nineteenth-century French poet Jules Laforgue and the importance to this reception of contemporary discourses that cast Germany as 'other'. I have also co-edited (with Dr Claire White, Cambridge) a Special Issue of Dix-Neuf, the journal of the Society of Dix-Neuviémistes, on Laforgue.

In 2016 I completed a two-month fellowship at the Camargo Foundation in Cassis, France, to begin work on a new project dealing with the reception of Buddhist thought in nineteenth-century France. 

• Transnationalism - Co-Convenor

• 2016: Transnational French Modernisms(£1500.00 from MHRA)

Authored book

• Bootle, Sam (2018). Laforgue, Philosophy, and Ideas of Otherness. Cambridge: Legenda.

Chapter in book

• Bootle, Sam (2012). Jules Laforgue: Derniers vers. In The Literary Encyclopedia. Clark, Robert, Elliott, Emory & Todd, Janet
• Bootle, Sam (2011). Jules Laforgue: Les Complaintes. In The Literary Encyclopedia. Clark, Robert, Elliott, Emory & Todd, Janet

Conference Paper

• Bootle, Sam (2014), Sea Sponges, Polyps and Mechanical Fish: the Decadent Aquarium. Modern Language Association Annual Convention 2014 in Chicago, USA, Modern Language Association Annual Convention 2014. Chicago, USA, Chicago IL.
• Bootle, Sam (2013), The Underwater World, Underground: Laforgue and Huysmans on the Berlin Aquarium. Society for French Studies Annual Conference at Nottingham University, Society for French Studies Annual Conference 2013. Nottingham, England, Nottingham.
• Bootle, Sam (2012), Le Nihilisme oriental: Buddhism in Nineteenth-Century French Literature. St Andrews French Research Seminar at St Andrews University, St Andrews French Research Seminar. St Andrews, Scotland, St Andrews.
• Bootle, Sam (2011), The Discourse of Disease: Laforgue's Reception of Schopenhauer. Society of Dix-Neuviémistes 9th Annual Conference at Birmingham University, Society of Dix-Neuviémistes 9th Annual Conference. Birmingham, England, Birmingham.
• Bootle, Sam (2010), Genius and the Unconscious: Laforgue's Reception of Hartmannian Aesthetics. Oxford French Postgraduate Seminar at Oxford University, Oxford French Postgraduate Seminar. Oxford, England, Oxford.
• Bootle, Sam (2010), Jules Laforgue and the Illusion of Spontaneity. Society of Dix-Neuviémistes 8th Annual Conference at Bangor University, Society of Dix-Neuviémistes 8th Annual Conference. Bangor, Wales, Bangor.
• Bootle, Sam (2010), Laforgue's 'Afrique Intérieure': A Vital Chaos? Society of Dix-Neuviémistes Postgraduate Conference, Society of Dix-Neuviémistes Postgraduate Conference.
• Bootle, Sam (2009), Laforgue's Reading of Schopenhauer in its Cultural Context. Cambridge French Graduate Research Seminar at Cambridge University, Cambridge French Graduate Research Seminar. Cambridge, England, Cambridge.

Journal Article

• Bootle, Sam (2018). 'Plongée poétique Rimbaud, Laforgue, et Vingt mille lieues sous les mers'. Parade sauvage: revue d'études rimbaldiennes 29: 133-153.
• Bootle, Sam (2017). 'Laforgue et le bouddhisme dilettante'. Revue d'histoire littéraire de la France 117(2): 273-282.
• Bootle, Sam (2016). The Body Poetic: Laforgue's Translations of Whitman. Dix-Neuf 20(1): 25-44.
• Bootle, Sam & White, Claire (2016). Introduction: Jules Laforgue, 'un carrefour d'échos'. Dix-Neuf 20(1): 1-8.
• Bootle, Sam (2011). Jules Laforgue and the Illusion of Spontaneity. Dix-Neuf 15(2): 166-176.