Sam Brown

Sam is a PhD student at University College London where her work sheds light on engagement with the Arabic language in England pre-1635, through evidence of ownership and use found in printed books and manuscripts. Her work takes her to libraries and archives around the UK and she has a particular interest in book history and provenance; from 2022-3 she was a research assistant on David Pearson’s Book Owners Online, and in April 2024 she will undertake a British Library-National Trust doctoral fellowship investigating Arabic manuscripts in both collections. Prior to developing a love for old books, Sam gained a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Arabic and Islamic Studies from SOAS and embarked on a career in television, which saw her researching and producing documentaries for the BBC and other major broadcasters for nearly a decade. In 2018 she returned to academia to pursue her love of history, gaining a Master of Arts in Early Modern Studies from University College London. She assists Shane Carmody on ASA’s Great Libraries and Stately Homes of England tour.