Dr. Janina Ramirez

Dr. Janina Ramirez is a British cultural historian, academic, author, and broadcaster specializing in Medieval art and visual culture of the Middle Ages. She is known for combining scholarly research with public engagement through programmes on BBC Two, BBC Four, and in live lectures at institutions such as the British Museum and the Tate Modern. Ramirez's work interlinks scholarship with outreach across universities, museums, and media platforms.

Early life and education

Ramirez was born in York and grew up in a family connected to Leeds and the Yorkshire Dales, developing early interests in Anglo-Saxon archaeology and Christianity in the Middle Ages. She studied for a first degree at the University of Cambridge before completing postgraduate research at the University of York under supervisors linked to the Council for British Archaeology and scholars connected to the study of Saxon England and Norman conquest material culture. Her doctoral thesis examined iconography and devotional practices related to medieval illuminated manuscripts, Romanesque sculpture, and the cult of the Virgin Mary in late medieval England.

Academic career

Ramirez held academic posts at the University of Oxford and the University of York, teaching on programmes affiliated with the Faculty of History and the Faculty of Theology and Religion. She contributed to research projects funded by bodies such as the Arts and Humanities Research Council and collaborated with curators from institutions including the Victoria and Albert Museum, the British Library, and the National Trust. Her supervision and lecturing have intersected with scholars working on Byzantine art, Carolingian manuscripts, Gothic architecture, and the study of pilgrimage at medieval sites such as Canterbury Cathedral and Santiago de Compostela.

Media work and public engagement

Ramirez developed a public profile through television and radio presentations on BBC Two, BBC Four, and recordings with BBC Radio 4, bringing medieval visual culture into programmes alongside presenters connected to series like the Great British Railway Journeys and the Civilisations revival. She has delivered public lectures at venues including the British Museum, the Tate Modern, the Royal Institution, and festivals such as the Hay Festival and the Cheltenham Literature Festival. Ramirez has appeared on panels with historians associated with Oxford University Press authors and interviewed figures linked to exhibitions at the Museum of London and the Ashmolean Museum. Her outreach includes collaborations with school programmes run by the Hermitage Education Centre and public history initiatives supported by the Wellcome Trust.

Publications and research

Ramirez's publications cover medieval iconography, devotional practice, and the reception of biblical narratives in art, appearing with publishers such as Penguin Books, Bloomsbury Publishing, and academic presses including Cambridge University Press and Oxford University Press. Her book-length works discuss themes related to Anglo-Saxon spirituality, medieval sermons, and the role of images in popular devotion, engaging with primary sources held by the Bodleian Library, the British Library, and cathedral archives at Canterbury and York Minster. She has contributed chapters to edited volumes alongside scholars researching manuscript studies, epigraphy, liturgical drama, and sacred landscapes, and has written articles for journals connected to the Society for Medieval Archaeology and the International Medieval Bibliography.

Awards and honours

Ramirez's public and academic work has been recognized by nominations and awards from bodies connected to the Royal Historical Society, the British Academy, and media accolades from organisations linked to the Royal Television Society and the Broadcasting Press Guild. She has been invited to serve on advisory panels for exhibitions at institutions such as the Victoria and Albert Museum and the National Portrait Gallery, and to give keynote addresses at conferences sponsored by the Medieval Academy of America and the International Congress on Medieval Studies.

Category:British historians Category:Medievalists Category:Women medievalists