News

The Society for French Studies is saddened to report the death of Professor Alan J. L. Busst on 31 December 2019. He was eighty-four.

We are delighted to announce that the winner of the 2019 undergraduate essay prize is Ellen Kemp (University of Bristol), for an essay entitled 'Compare and contrast the relationship between voice, space, and forms of intimacy in Chantal Akerman’s Sud (1999) and Corine Shawi’s E-muet (2013)'. Congratulations, Ellen!

The deadline for the 2019 R. Gapper postgraduate essay prize is fast approaching. Make sure you get your submissions in before 31 October!

To celebrate the annual conference of the Society for French Studies (1-3 July 2019), we are delighted to present a new Virtual Issue on “Migration and Mobility”.

The Society is delighted to announced that the 2019 Visiting International Fellowship has been awarded to Martin Munro, Winthrop-King Professor of French and Francophone Studies and Director of the Winthrop-King Institute for Contemporary French and Francophone Studies at Florida State University.

We have received reports that scammers have been contacting our conference delegates, claiming to represent the Society and offering to arrange hotel accommodation for the conference. If you are contacted by these people, it is important that you do not give away any personal information, including credit/debit card information.

Registration for the SFS annual conference, to be held this year at Royal Holloway University of London, is now open. Register by 28 April to benefit from special early bird rates!

The Society for French Studies is dismayed at the news that Modern Languages at the University of Reading is under threat of restructuring, involving the loss of between 8 and 13 academic staff. Our president, Judith Still, has sent a letter on behalf of the Society to Professor Mark Fellowes, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Academic Planning and Resources. You can read the letter here.

The Society for French Studies is pleased to announce that the recipient of this year’s R. Gapper Postgraduate Essay Prize is Madeleine Chalmers (Trinity College, University of Oxford), for an essay titled ‘The Surreal Technics of André Breton and Gilbert Simondon’.

The Society for French Studies wishes to express its support and solidarity for colleagues at the University of Hull, who have received the news that management have decided to suspend programmes in French, German, Italian, Spanish, and English language in 2019. The Society's President, Professor Judith Still, has written to Hull's Vice-Chancellor to express our dismay at this decision. You can read her full letter here.

We also encourage members to sign the petition in support of Modern Languages at Hull, available here: https://www.change.org/p/the-dean-save-our-university-language-department