Senior Lecturer in French, Dr Lucy O’Meara, has been appointed as the new General Editor for the Modern Humanities Research Association’s (MHRA) flagship journal, Modern Language Review (MLR). Founded in 1905, it is one of the oldest journals in the field, and has published more than 3,000 articles and 20,000 book reviews. Dr O’Meara is the first woman to serve as General Editor for MLR, having previously served as section editor for French.

In her own research, she has a particular interest in the relationship between literature and theory and works mainly on twentieth-century topics, including Roland Barthes, French literary and cultural responses to Japan, crime fiction, and the Oulipo group. Dr O’Meara is the author of a book on Roland Barthes and is currently writing another on attitudes towards encyclopaedic knowledge in European fiction and autobiography from the late 19th century to the present day.

Dr O’Meara says, “The Modern Language Review is one of the best-known and longest-established modern languages journals in the world. It publishes research in modern and medieval European, Latin American, and English literatures, languages, and cultures. It’s a real honour to become its general editor and to represent Kent and my department, Modern Languages and Linguistics, in that role. The Department already has international links across several continents, and this appointment further cements Kent’s status as a leading institution for Modern Languages research.”