My buddy and colleague Margaret Atack, who has died of most cancers aged 75, was recognized predominantly for her work on French literature of and in regards to the second world conflict. She was as concerned with widespread detective fiction set on this interval as she was within the existentialist philosophy of Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, and delivered to all of her writing an encyclopaedic information of idea throughout a number of disciplines, in addition to a robust dedication to feminism.
Margaret’s first ebook – influential and far cited – was Literature and the French Resistance: Cultural Politics and Narrative Varieties 1940-1950 (1989). This was adopted by Might 68 in French Fiction and Movie: Rethinking Illustration, Rethinking Society (1991). Her most up-to-date publication was Jean-François Vilar: Theatres of Crime, (2020), in regards to the French political crime author.
She was additionally a extremely efficient educational chief, her profession spent predominantly at Leeds College, as professor and head of division of French from 1993, rising to dean of the college of arts (2003-06) then pro-vice-chancellor for analysis (2006 to 2009).
Born in Leicester, Margaret was the primary little one of Kathleen (nee Draper), a typist, and Wilfrid Atack, a merchandise supervisor for Lewis’s division retailer within the metropolis. The household moved round as Wilfrid’s profession took him to completely different branches of the shop, settling in Liverpool within the late Nineteen Sixties. Household life was glad till the dying of Kathleen when Margaret was 11, after which she attended a Catholic boarding faculty, St Mary’s, close to Shaftesbury, Dorset.
Although Margaret quickly left behind Catholicism, she retained shut friendships from her schooldays, as from her scholar years at College Faculty London, the place she gained a first-class diploma in French in 1971. She stayed at UCL for her PhD then as a French lecturer till 1977. After lectureship posts at Southampton and Cardiff universities, she obtained her first everlasting place at Leeds in 1979.
From 1989 she spent 4 years as head of humanities, then social and worldwide research, at Sunderland Polytechnic (now Sunderland College), earlier than returning to Leeds.
A warm-hearted, loyal and at all times pleasant buddy and colleague, Margaret went part-time in 2016 to give attention to her analysis and writing.
She served twice on Analysis Evaluation Train /Analysis Excellence Framework panels, as soon as as chair, and on many panels for senior educational appointments and grant awards.
After retiring absolutely in 2022 Margaret was in a position to spend extra time having fun with her household and her backyard, her love of opera (going incessantly to Opera North in Leeds), assembly up with pals, and pursuing her many pursuits, significantly in all issues French.
Margaret met her associate, the translator and mental historian David Macey, after they have been each college students, they usually adopted three kids.
David died in 2011. She is survived by her kids, Aaron, John and Chantelle, her six grandchildren, and her brother, Michael.
