Amber Souleymane

Amber Souleymane is a student of the Research Master’s degree programme in Classical Medieval and Early Modern Studies, in which she focuses on the study of early modern Dutch texts. Amber is particularly interested in texts that address societal, religious, and intellectual debate. Her enthusiasm for rhetoricians is unique, but it fits well with the rest of her studies and was conveyed in an infectious way during her pitch. Rhetoricians are sometimes described as amateur poets and recitation artists who, by performing plays, mainly focus on the ‘general public’. In the late Middle Ages, these writers organized themselves into rhetoricians’ associations. Amber is particularly involved in using digital methods to further investigate the work of sixteenth-century rhetorician Louris Jansz and his relationship to humanism. She hopes that this will lead to PhD research at the intersection of Dutch literature, cultural history, and the digital humanities. Amber received the Uitgeverij Verloren/Johan de Witt thesis prize for her Bachelor’s thesis. She has won several grants and has published widely. She is also an ambassador for the Royal Netherlands Institute in Rome (KNIR), has held several student and research assistantships, was editor-in-chief of the Vooys literary magazine, and has presented her research at conferences. Amber is also active in organizing conferences and on the board of the committee that organizes the Career Event for the Faculty of Arts. She has also been involved in the tasks and meetings of the Research & Development Committee of the Graduate School of Medieval Studies. She is a homework tutor for secondary school pupils and supports migrants in learning Dutch. Her pitch was exemplary and she was able to completely enthuse the jury about the importance of the rhetoricians.