Dr David Bryant

The Cardiff School of European Languages, Translation and Politics is sad to announce the death of Dr David Bryant, a former Lecturer in French in the School and Dean of the Faculty of Arts, 1987-1988 and Dean Designate of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Studies and Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Studies, 1988-1990.

David Bryant studied French and German at the University of Dublin, where he gained First Class Honours and also won the French Government Gold Medal for Proficiency in Spoken French in 1964. He did a year at the Sorbonne and was then a postgraduate under George Lehman at Reading where he went on to obtain his PhD in Reading in 1970.

Dr Bryant joined University College Cardiff in 1967 and taught French in the former School of European Studies His teaching interests included French literature of 18th and 19th century, the novel and short fiction, Rousseau, Senancour, Restif de la Bretonne, autobiography, private diaries and French Film. During his time at Cardiff, Dr Bryant taught many generations of undergraduates and passed on his deep love for French literature.

His publications included The Rhetoric of Pessimism and Strategies of Containment in the Short Stories of Guy de Maupassant (Studies in French Literature) and Short Fiction and the Press in France, 1829-41: Followed by a Selection of Short Fiction from the Periodical and Daily Press (Studies in French Literature. 'Towards a new literature' in The Cardiff Experience: Essays in Honour of Richard Griffiths, University College, Cardiff, 1988. Maupassant and the Writing Hand', in Maupassant Conteur et Romancier (Eds., C. Lloyd and R. Lethbridge), University of Durham Modern Language Series, 9, Durham, 1994.

David Bryant was very active in the University administration serving on College Court, Council and Senate.

Dr Bryant was an Examiner for the WJEC from 1968 to 1990 and Scrutineer for French for the School Examinations and Assessment Council.

Dr Bryant took early retirement in 1997 and lived part of the time in his beloved Larmor-Baden in the Gulf of Morbihan, Brittany. He also served on the church council of the United Reformed Church in Windsor Place, Cardiff. He was a civilized, quietly spoken and extremely talented man.

Dr David Bryant died on 30 November 2012. The School extends sincere sympathies to his wife, Kathi, his children, Helen and Eric.