Dr Paul Rowe

Profile

I was born in Edinburgh in 1968. I was educated at Rydens Comprehensive School in Surrey, and then at the University of Birmingham, where I studied French and German. After two years as a lecteur d'anglais at the Université de Nancy II, I returned to Birmingham in 1993 to start my PhD. This I was awarded in 1998.

I was a Teaching Fellow in the Department of French Studies at the University of Birmingham from 1997–1999.

I came to Leeds in 1999 as a Lecturer in French, and was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2008.

I have served as Director of Learning and Teaching (2007–2011) and Deputy Head (2013–2016) of the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies. I was Director of French from August 2018–July 2021.

Research interests

My research on nineteenth-century culture focuses on Benjamin Constant, Franco-German cultural transfers, the press, and the Saint-Simonians.

I serve as a member of the 'Comité Directeur' of the international team preparing a critical edition of the Œuvres complètes de Benjamin Constant for De Gruyter. Within that project I oversee the publication of the Correspondance générale de Benjamin Constant. In addition to editing the correspondence, I have also contributed to the project in a variety of other capacities.

I was a member of the Executive Committee of the Society of Dix-Neuvimistes, serving as Treasurer from the foundation of the Society in 2001 until 2007.

My other research has all developed from the work on Franco-German cultural transfers that I did in my thesis. This led me to explore a variety of ways in which ideas were transmitted and received in the nineteenth century, between France and various cultures with which it came into contact, and by means including literary translation, encyclopaedia entries, newspaper articles, and the published and unpublished letters to newspapers.

I could offer research supervision in: nineteenth-century cultural and intellectual history, especially Benjamin Constant; correspondence; Franco-German cultural transfers, including literary translation; the press in nineteenth-century France; nineteenth-century encyclopaedias.

• Correspondance générale de Benjamin Constant

Qualifications

• PhD in French, University of Birmingham (1998)
• BA in Modern Languages (French and German), University of Birmingham (1991)

Professional memberships

• Society of Dix-Neuviémistes
• Society for French Studies
• Association Benjamin Constant

Student education

I teach French literature, ideas, history and language.

I served as Director of Learning and Teaching of the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies between 2007 and 2011.

Research groups and institutes

• French
• Centre for World Literatures
• Translation
• Literary studies