| Occupation: | Literary historian |
| Alma Mater: | Aberystwyth University |
| Discipline: | Medieval literature |
| Workplaces: | Swansea University |
Elizabeth Herbert McAvoy is a Welsh scholar of medieval literature who specialises in medieval women's literature, particularly anchorites. She is Professor Emerita of Medieval Studies at Swansea University.
Elizabeth Herbert was educated at Aberystwyth University, where she got her first degree in 1977 and her PhD in Medieval English Literature.[1] [2] In 2005, she joined Swansea University, where she was Reader in Gender in English Studies and Medieval Literature.[3] She was later promoted to Professor of Medieval Studies and Emeritus Professor.[4] She has also held a Personal Chair in English Literature and Creative Writing at the University.[5] She also holds a Honorary Senior Research Associate position at the University of Bristol.[4]
McAvoy specialises in medieval women's literature and in medieval anchorites.[5] In addition to editing several volumes, she has also written several books.[5] She served as Associate Director at the Swansea University Centre for Medieval and Early Modern Research.[3] After becoming Vice-President of the Society for Medieval Feminist Scholarship in 2013, she was promoted to President in 2015, serving until 2017.
She was elected Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales in 2015.[6] She became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in 2015.