Isabelle Pantin (born 1952, née Carteron) is a French literary scholar, historian of science, and expert on Renaissance literature, scientific publications from the Renaissance, and the works of J. R. R. Tolkien. She is a professor emerita of literature and language at the École normale supérieure (Paris).
Education and career Pantin received a diploma from the École normale supérieur in 1972. She worked as a resident at the Bibliothèque nationale de France, and directed the libraries of the ENS Jourdan and Montrouge campuses from 1985 to 1989. She became a lecturer at Sorbonne Nouvelle University from 1989 to 1995, and then a professor at Le Mans University and Paris Nanterre University before returning to the École normale supérieur as a professor in 2007. She was deputy director of the , a joint research institute of CNRS, the ENS, and Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University, from 2013 to 2017.
Books
Pantin is the author of: La Poésie du ciel en France dans la seconde moitié du seizième siècle (Geneva: Droz, 1995) Tolkien et ses légendes. Une expérience en fiction (Paris: CNRS Éditions, 2009)
She is the editor of critical editions and translations (from Latin into French) of: Imprimeurs et libraires parisiens du XVI e siècle (Paris: Bibliothèque nationale, 1986) Galileo Galilei, Sidereus Nuncius/Le Messager céleste (Paris: Les Belles Lettres, 1992) Johannes Kepler, Dissertatio cum nuncio sidereo; Narratio de observatis Jovis satellitibus: Discussion avec le messager céleste; Rapport sur l'observation des satellites de Jupiter (Paris: Les Belles Lettres, 1993) La Mariane du Filomène (1596; with Nicole Cazauran, Paris: Klinck-sieck, 1998)
Her edited volumes include: Mise en forme des savoirs à la Renaissance. A la croisée des idées, des techniques et des publics (with Gérald Péoux, Paris: Armand Colin, 2013)
Recognition Pantin was elected corresponding member of the International Academy of the History of Science in 2007, before becoming full member in 2016. A festschrift, D'Uranie à Gollum : mélanges en l'honneur d'Isabelle Pantin, edited by Jean-Charles Monferran, Tristan Vigliano, and Alice Vintenon, was published by Honoré Champion in 2024.
References Reviews of Sidereus Nuncius: Maurice Clavelin (1994), Revue d'histoire des sciences, Guy Demerson (1993), Réforme, Humanisme, Renaissance, Giancarlo Nonnoi (1993), The British Journal for the History of Science, William A. Wallace (1994), Isis,
Review of Imprimeurs et libraires parisiens du XVI e siècle: Louis Desgraves (1987), Bibliothèque d'Humanisme et Renaissance,
Reviews of Dissertatio cum nuncio sidereo: Maurice Clavelin (1995), Revue d'histoire des sciences, Wolfgang Kokott (1996), Sudhoffs Archiv, Emmanuel Poulle (1993), Bibliothèque d'Humanisme et Renaissance, James R. Voelkel (1994), Isis,
Reviews of La Mariane du Filomène: Richard Crescenzo (1999), Revue d'Histoire littéraire de la France,, François Lasserre (1999), Bibliothèque d'Humanisme et Renaissance,
Reviews of Mise en forme des savoirs à la Renaissance: Jean Celeyrette (2014), Methodos, Valérie Hayaert (2014), Bibliothèque d'Humanisme et Renaissance,
Reviews of La Poésie du ciel en France dans la seconde moitié du seizième siècle: Ann Blair (1997), Isis, Marco Beretta (1996), Nuncius, Edmund J. Campion (1998), The French Review, Fernand Hallyn (1998), Bibliothèque d'Humanisme et Renaissance, Jean-Charles Monferran (1997), Revue d'Histoire littéraire de la France, Brigitte Roussel (1997), The Sixteenth Century Journal,
Reviews of Tolkien et ses légendes: Nicolas Aude (2013), "Middle-Earth, terre inconnue de la recherche ?", Nonfiction Anne Besson (2009), "Tolkien, la légende et l’histoire", Acta fabula, Charles Delattre (2010), "Lire Tolkien", La vie des idées, Michèle Gally (2010), Itinéraires,
External links Personal home page, IHMC