Celia Britton Explained

Celia Britton
Honorific Suffix:FBA
Birth Name:Celia Margaret Britton
Birth Date:20 March 1946
Death Place:Hove
Nationality:British
Alma Mater:New Hall, Cambridge
University of Essex
Discipline:Literary criticism/French
Workplaces:King's College London
University of Reading
University of Aberdeen
University College London

Celia Margaret Britton, FBA (20 March 1946 - 16 June 2024) was a British scholar of French Caribbean literature and thought.[1] She was Carnegie Professor of French at the University of Aberdeen from 1991 to 2002 and Professor of French at University College London from 2003 to 2011. She had previously lectured at King's College London and the University of Reading.

Early life and education

Britton was born on 20 March 1946 to James Nimmo Britton and Jessie Muriel Britton. She studied modern and medieval languages at New Hall, Cambridge, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1969; as per tradition, her BA was later promoted to a Master of Arts (MA Cantab) degree. Remaining at New Hall, she studied for a postgraduate diploma in linguistics which she completed in 1970. She then moved to the University of Essex where she undertook postgraduate research in literary stylistics, and she completed her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in 1973.[2]

Academic career

From 1972 to 1974, while still studying for her doctorate, Britton was a temporary lecturer in French at King's College London. From 1974 to 1991, she was a lecturer in French studies at the University of Reading. Then, from 1991 to 2002, she was Carnegie Professor of French at the University of Aberdeen. Her final position before retirement was a Professor of French at University College London, which she held between 2003 and 2011. In 2011, she retired from full-time academia and was appointed an emeritus professor.

Britton's research focuses on French Caribbean literature and thought. She has published work on Édouard Glissant, a Martinican writer, Frantz Fanon, a Martinique-born philosopher and writer, and Maryse Condé, a Guadeloupean author. Britton has research interests in postcolonial theory, the Nouveau Roman, and ethnography.

Honours

In 2000, Britton was elected a Fellow of the British Academy (FBA), the United Kingdom's national academy for the humanities and social sciences.[3] In 2003, she was appointed a Chevalier of the Ordre des Palmes Académiques by the French government.

Selected works

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Prof Celia Britton. Institutional Research Information Service. University College London. 16 February 2017.
  2. Web site: BRITTON, Prof. Celia Margaret. Who's Who 2017. Oxford University Press. 16 February 2017. November 2016.
  3. Web site: Professor Celia Britton. British Academy. 16 February 2017.