Sir Michael Edwards,

OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(born 29 April 1938) is an

Anglo- Anglo is a prefix indicating a relation to, or descent from, the Angles, England, English culture, the English people or the English language, such as in the term ''Anglosphere''. It is often used alone, somewhat loosely, to refer to people o ...

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

poet and academic.

Life

Born in

Barnes Barnes may refer to: People * Barnes (name), a family name and a given name (includes lists of people with that name) Places United Kingdom *Barnes, London, England **Barnes railway station ** Barnes Bridge railway station ** Barnes Railway Bri ...

, SW London, Edwards was educated at Kingston Grammar School and

Christ's College, Cambridge Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college includes the Master, the Fellows of the College, and about 450 undergraduate and 170 graduate students. The college was founded by William Byngham in 1437 as ...

, where he read French and Spanish. He wrote his doctoral thesis on Jean Racine, completing it in Paris. He was the longtime Professor of English and Comparative Literature at the University of Warwick until 2002, when he was elected to a

professorial chair Academic ranks in the United Kingdom are the titles, relative seniority and responsibility of employees in universities. In general the country has three academic career pathways: one focused on research, one on teaching, and one that combines th ...

for the Study of Literary Creation in the English Language at the Collège de France. Edwards was elected to one of the 40 seats in the

Académie Française An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary education, secondary or tertiary education, tertiary higher education, higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membershi ...

on 21 February 2013, becoming the first English person to be so honoured. He had been nominated previously in 2008, when he received the second highest number of votes in the fourth and final round of voting (eight votes, behind

Michel Schneider Michel Schneider (28 May 1944 – 21 July 2022) was a French writer, musicologist, énarque, senior official, and psychoanalyst. He was the father of journalist and writer Vanessa Schneider and of François Schneider, history teacher. He was a ...

who received 10) but since no candidate secured a majority the seat then remained vacant.

Honours

Knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...

in the

2014 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 2014 were appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Honours are awarded as part of the New Year celebrati ...

for "services to British–French cultural relations",www.theguardian.com
/ref> Sir Michael has received the following honours: * Legion Honneur Chevalier ribbon

Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur *

Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Commandeur ribbon

Commandeur de l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres *

* Knight Bachelor

Bibliography

* ''La tragédie racinienne'', La pensée universelle, 1972 * ''To Kindle the Starling'', Aquila, 1972 * ''Eliot/Language'', Aquila, 1975 * ''Éloge de l'attente'', Belin, 1996 * ''De Poetica Christiana'', Hermeuneutikai Kutatokozpont, Budapest, 1997 * ''Beckett ou le don des langues'', Espaces 34, 1998 * ''Leçons de poésie'', PUF, 2001 * ''De la poésie'', avec Yves Bonnefoy, Presses Universitaires de Vincennes, 2001 * ''Ombres de lune : réflexions sur la création littéraire'', Espaces 34, 2001 * ''Un monde même et autre'', Desclée de Brouwer, janvier 2002 * ''Rivage mobile'', Arfuyen, 2003 * ''Terre de poésie'', Espaces 34, 2003 * '' Shakespeare et la comédie de l'émerveillement'', Desclée de Brouwer, 2003 * ''Racine et Shakespeare'', PUF, 2004 * ''Shakespeare et l'œuvre de la tragédie'', Belin, 2005 * ''Le Génie de la poésie anglaise'', Le Livre de poche, 2006 * ''De l'émerveillement'', Fayard, 2008 * ''À la racine du feu'', Caractères, coll. Planètes, 2009 * ''Shakespeare : Le poète au théâtre'', Fayard, 2009 * ''Le bonheur d'être ici'', Fayard, février 2011 * ''Le rire de Molière'', De Fallois, octobre 2012 * ''Paris aubaine'', Éditions de Corlevour, novembre 2012

References

1938 births Living people People from Barnes, London People educated at Kingston Grammar School Alumni of Christ's College, Cambridge Academics of the University of Warwick Academic staff of the Collège de France Members of the Académie Française English expatriates in France Knights of the Legion of Honour Commandeurs of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Officers of the Order of the British Empire Knights Bachelor English male poets {{UK-academic-bio-stub