Dr Lubaaba Al-Azami

Profile

I am a cultural historian specialising in the Global Renaissance. I am Founding Editor of Medieval and Early Modern Orients (MEMOs), an AHRC-funded digital platform on premodern English encounters with the Islamic Worlds. I am also Founding Convener of Network of Sisters in Academia (NeSA), the first international professional network for Muslim women academics.

Undergraduate Teaching

ESH5001 Global Shakespeare (course convener)  
ESH295 London: Walking the City

Postgraduate Teaching

ESH7062 Global Shakespeare: History and Theory and Performance (course convener)  

Research

Research Interests:

• Renaissance transculturality
• Premodern racecraft
• Travel
• Religion and gender

I am a cultural historian specialising in the Global Renaissance. I particularly work on early modern drama, notably Shakespeare and his contemporaries, as well as travel writings and memoirs.

Publications

My first book, Travellers in the Golden Realm: How Mughal India Connected England to the World (John Murray, 2024) considers England's first travellers to Mughal India and how these early connections developed England's global identity. The book was shortlisted for the British in India Book Prize 2025. My other publications include essays on Renaissance racecraft and material culture. I am currently working on two writing projects: my second monograph examines representations of Indian queens on the Renaissance English stage. I am also co-editing a critical edition of Titus Andronicus for Cambridge University Press. 

Supervision

I am not currently accepting PhD students.

Public Engagement

I am an academic and public historian. I regularly speak at festivals, on podcasts and undertake media engagements. I am represented by Northbank Talent Management. My first book, Travellers in the Golden Realm (John Murray, 2024) was critically acclaimed in national and international press.

You can listen to/view some of my recent engagements below:

• Willy Willy Harry Stee Pod
• TRT World: Ignored Histories
• Medieval Fest, British Library
• Khaki Lab Mumbai: Into the Golden Realm
• Travellers in the Golden Realm Audiobook