On Tuesday 21 April 2026, MERLIT researcher, Maria Pace Aquilina will gave a guest lecture at KU Leuven on gender anxiety and female agency, focusing on Aphra Behn's The Rover. Maria discussed how through characters like Helena, Florinda and Angelica Bianca, Behn interrogates the boundaries of acceptable female behaviour, and critiques the double standards that dominate women’s autonomy and self-expression in a patriarchal society.
The event is in collaboration with Prof. Johan Verberckmoes (Professor of Early Modern and Cultural History).
