Best Paper Award

The award for this year's best paper goes to Isabelle Hampton-Zabotti for her piece: “Courtly Love and Homosocial-Sexual Desire: Comparisons Between the European Middle Ages and Classical Islamic Period.”

As the highest-rated paper, Isabelle's work redefines 'courtly love' by comparing its relevance in the European Medieval and Classical Islamic contexts.

Her paper examines Stephen Jaeger's concept of 'ennobling love' in clerical and aristocratic male homosocial relationships, highlighting similarities and differences between Christian and Islamic traditions, and challenging heteronormative views of love.

(From left to right: Tony McIlwraith, Isabelle Hampton-Zabotti, Veronika Wendler)