Richard Patrick Corballis (24 March 1946 – 20 July 2016) was a New Zealand academic who specialised in the study of Irish literature, and particularly the writings of

James Joyce James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic. He contributed to the modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influential and important writers of ...

Early life, family and education

Born on 24 March 1946, Corballis was the son of Alice Elizabeth Corballis (née Harris) and Philip Patrick Corballis, and the youngest brother of psychologist

Michael Corballis Michael Charles Corballis (10 September 1936 – 13 November 2021) was a New Zealand and Canadian psychologist and author. He was Emeritus Professor at the Department of Psychology at the University of Auckland. His fields of research were c ...

. Educated at

Wanganui Collegiate School Whanganui Collegiate School (formerly Wanganui Collegiate School; see here) is a state-integrated, coeducational, day and boarding, secondary school in Whanganui, Manawatū-Whanganui region, New Zealand. The school is affiliated to the Anglican c ...

, he went on to study at the University of Canterbury, graduating

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Th ...

in 1967, and the

University of Southampton , mottoeng = The Heights Yield to Endeavour , type = Public research university , established = 1862 – Hartley Institution1902 – Hartley University College1913 – Southampton University Coll ...

, where he was awarded a PhD in 1972. His doctoral thesis was entitled ''George Chapman's development as a comic dramatist''. In 1969 Corballis married Penny Dawson, and the couple went on to have three children.

Career

Corbaliis was on the faculty at the University of Canterbury for 19 years, before moving to Massey University, where he was appointed professor and head of department of English, and involved in the establishment of that institution's campus at Albany in Auckland. He served on the council of Massey University from 1993 to 1997, and in 1997 was appointed as the first head of the School of English and Media Studies at Massey. In 2001 Corballis was elected to the governing body of the International Association of University Professors of English. Corballis' research focused on Irish literature and he was particularly interested in the works of James Joyce. However, he also published on the works of other writers, including

Witi Ihimaera Witi Tame Ihimaera-Smiler (; born 7 February 1944) is a New Zealand author. Raised in the small town of Waituhi, he decided to become a writer as a teenager after being convinced that Māori people were ignored or mischaracterised in literat ...

and

Tom Stoppard Sir Tom Stoppard (born , 3 July 1937) is a Czech born British playwright and screenwriter. He has written for film, radio, stage, and television, finding prominence with plays. His work covers the themes of human rights, censorship, and politi ...

. In 2008, Corballis was writer in residence at the Michael King Writers' Centre in Devonport, Auckland, where is conducted research for a biography of New Zealand playwright,

Bruce Mason Bruce Edward George Mason (28 September 1921 – 31 December 1982) was a significant playwright in New Zealand who wrote 34 plays and influenced the cultural landscape of the country through his contribution to theatre. In 1980, he was appoi ...

Later life and death

Corballis retired from Massey University in 2011. He died in Wellington on 20 July 2016.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Corballis, Dick 1946 births 2016 deaths People educated at Whanganui Collegiate School University of Canterbury alumni Alumni of the University of Southampton University of Canterbury faculty Massey University faculty James Joyce scholars