Odile Lehnen

Odile Lehnen is a PhD student at Durham University. She holds an AHRC collaborative doctoral award and is writing her thesis on the astronomer Caroline Herschel (1750-1848). Her project is partnered with The Royal Society of London, where a rich collection of Herschel manuscripts has been preserved. Many of Herschel’s contributions are still downplayed as passive and subordinate assistant work under her brother William Herschel. Odile challenges this interpretation by revealing Herschel’s agency through a close study of her manuscripts which played a crucial role in the production of astronomical knowledge. Odile also has a passion for storytelling in audiovisual formats. She is excited to connect her training in documentary filmmaking and experience with freelance video projects to her academic work by exploring creative ways of producing content that engages a wide audience with academic research.