Philip Thody | |
|---|---|
| Born | Philip Malcolm Waller Thody 21 March 1928 Lincoln, England |
| Died | 15 June 1999(1999-06-15) (aged 71) Leeds, England |
| Occupation | Scholar |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4 |
Philip Malcolm Waller Thody (21 March 1928 – 15 June 1999) was an English scholar of French literature who was Professor of French Literature at theUniversity of Leeds from 1965 until 1993.[1]
Thody was born inLincoln in 1928 and educated locally. Afternational service in theRAF, he read French atKing's College London and subsequently lived inParis for three years, writing a thesis on 'The Vogue of the American Novel in France since 1944', including a year as a lecteur at the Sorbonne.[2]
In 1956 Thody was appointed Assistant Lecturer, laterLecturer, atQueen's University Belfast. In 1965 he was appointedProfessor of French Literature at theUniversity of Leeds where he remained until his retirement in 1993. He translated and edited work byAlbert Camus andLucien Goldmann, and wrote book-length studies of writers including Camus,Jean-Paul Sartre,Jean Genet,Marcel Proust,Aldous Huxley andRoland Barthes.
Thody launched a "total immersion language course" in French for theCivil Service College in 1972. In 25 years, 700 senior civil servants attended it. Thody was also a member of the civil service final selection panel.
In 1982, he wrote the Thody Report, on improvingDiplomatic Service language training.
In 1954 he married Joy Woodin. They had two sons and two daughters.
Thody died inLeeds on 15 June 1999, aged 71. He was survived by his wife and children.[1]
