Stephanie Brown

Biography

Dr Stephanie Brown is Lecturer in Criminology at the University of Hull. As a historical criminologist, her research focuses on crime, punishment, and policing from the middle ages to the modern day. She has written widely on the law, history, and social context of homicide, suicide, and abortion. Her work examines how prosecution is shaped by social ideas about gender, ethnicity, class, and belonging. She is particularly interested in change and continuity within legislation, punishment, and the wider criminal justice system.

Stephanie is a BBC Radio 4 New Generation Thinker and Researcher in Residence for Woman’s Hour, where she brings historical perspectives to contemporary debates. She writes regularly for The Conversation and is the co-creator of Medieval Murder Maps, an interactive digital project allowing users to investigate patterns of violence in medieval England.

She received her PhD in History from the University of Cambridge and has held fellowships at the Institute of Historical Research, London and the Cambridge Institute of Criminology. She leads the Women’s History Network and is a member of the Cultures of Incarceration Centre.

Drawing on archival records, her work explores how legal systems and punishments were applied in practice. Combining rigorous research with vivid storytelling, she brings these past experiences to life for a wide readership.