Anna Opanasenko, M.A.
PhD Candidate, DERIVATE Project
Pronouns: she/her
Room: 00 005 | Werthmannstr. 6
Office phone number: –
Email: anna.opanasenko@anglistik.uni-freiburg.de
Anna Opanasenko is a PhD candidate with the DERIVATE research project at the University of Freiburg. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in English with First Class Honors from the University of Alberta and a Master of Arts in English Literature and Literary Theory from the University of Freiburg. Her research focuses on contemporary retellings of medieval texts, including Beowulf, The Canterbury Tales, and Arthurian romances.
Research interests:
- Reception studies
- Gender studies
- Intersection of postcolonial theory and medievalism
- Medieval literature and its adaptations
- Medieval culture and gender dynamics
- Historical Fiction
Employment:
09.2024 – | PhD Candidate |
Education:
| Since 10/24 | PhD in English Literature Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Eva von Contzen English Department l University of Freiburg |
| 10/2021 – 05/2024 | M.A. in English Literature and Literary Theory University of Freiburg |
| 09/2019 – 06/2020 | English Language and Literature Exchange Program University of Leeds |
| 08/2017 – 06/2021 | B.A. (Hons) in English with First Class Honors University of Alberta |
Additional Education and Certifications:
- CELTA (Cambridge English Level 5 Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages)
Awards, grants and fellowships:
- Maria Ladenburger-Stiftung, Freiburg (2023/24)
- Annual International Student Scholarship, University of Alberta (2017-2020)
- Education Abroad Individual Award, University of Leeds exchange program (2019)
- Faculty of Arts Academic Excellence Award, University of Alberta (2017)
- University of Alberta International Country Scholarship (2017)
Conference Papers
- “Trauma Narratives in Postcolonial Literature.” EUCOR 2024 Annual English Trinational MA and PhD Conference. Université de Haute-Alsase. 12-13 April 2024.
- “‘Truly Counter-Cultural’: Morgan le Fay and Gender Through the Ages.” Medieval Identities Workshop. University of Freiburg. 23 May 2023.
- “A Comparative Study of Morgan le Fay.” MasterVision Conference. University of Bremen. 21-23 February 2022.
Events Organised:
| July 2026 | Co-Organiser (with Philomena Wolf), Session “Medievalism and Contemporary Retellings” at the 24th Biennial NCS Congress, University of Freiburg |
| 2025 – 2026 | 24th Biennial NCS Congress, University of Freiburg |
Roles:
April 2025 – July 2026: Local Committee Member, 24th Biennial Congress, University of Freiburg
April 2023 – October 2023: Editorial Intern, New Chaucer Studies: Pedagogy & Profession
Teaching:
Winter Term 2025/26
- “A Duty Not to Remain Silent”: Women’s Voices in the Middle Ages and Now (PS Cultural Studies)
Summer Term 2025
- “Editing and Peer Review” Course at University College Freiburg
Winter term 2023/24
- Tutorial for the lecture “Introduction to Literary Studies” with Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Hochbruck
Summer term 2023
- Tutorial for the lecture “Introduction to Literary Studies” with Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Hochbruck
Winter term 2022/23
- Tutorial for the lecture “Introduction to Literary Studies” with Prof. Dr. Stefanie Lethbridge
Summer term 2022
- Tutorial for the lecture “Introduction to Literary Studies” with Prof. Dr. Stefanie Lethbridge
Winter term 2021/22
- Tutorial for the lecture “Survey of British and Postcolonial Literature” with Prof. Dr. Barbara Korte