Dr Matthew Screech

Who am I?

I am a committed European and Francophile with particular interest in poetry and popular culture.

Out of work I spend my time record collecting (Ska, Sun Ra, Zappa), walking, travelling and trying to improve my Spanish.

Why do I teach?

I strongly believe we should understand other cultures and I like to think I’m helping younger people to do so. Learning other languages and cultures is tremendously enriching both personally and professionally.  

Words of wisdom

Turn up regularly and ask when you don’t understand.  If you don’t understand something, at least half the rest of the class probably doesn’t get it either.

Academic and professional qualifications

PhD on Symbolist poet Ephraim Mikhael : UCL 1989.

Previous employment

Lecteur d’Anglais University de Paris III, 1984-1986.
Language teacher, Colegio Britanico de Aragon, Zaragoza 1989-1991.
Language teacher/course designer, Open Doors, Langues et Communication, Paris 1991-1994.
Part-time English Language Lecturer, British Institute, Paris 1993-1994.
Lecturer in French MMU 1994-1998.
Senior Lecturer in French at MMU, 1998 to date.

Other academic service (administration and management)

 French Section Coordinator for year abroad. 

Languages

French

Why study French?

Undergraduate courses

I am currently Unit Leader for French Culture and Society. I also teach on French Cultural Movements, French Interpreting and Translation, French Language 2, Fast track, Translation for Exchange Students, French for Business, Dissertation Supervision, Uniwide (various levels).

Research expertise

My research focus was originally 19th Century Symbolist poetry but it has since moved on to French comics.

19th century literature and in contemporary popular culture, particularly bande dessinées.

Publications

• Featured Works

• Books (authored/edited/special issues)

  A. Huxley (2009). De la vulgarité en littérature Divagations sur un thème. L'Inventaire.

  M. Screech (2005). Masters of the Ninth Art Bandes Dessinées and Franco-Belgian Identity. Liverpool University Press.

  A. Besançon (1994). The Falsification of the Good .Soloviev and Orwell. London: Claridge.

  E. Mikhaël (1994). Poèmes en vers et en prose. Geneva: Librairie Droz.

• Journal articles

  M. Screech (2016). Tintin: Herge's Masterpiece. EUROPEAN COMIC ART. 9(2), pp.100-+.

  M. Screech (2013). A Tale of Three Candides: Sfar, Meyran and Delcourt Recount Voltaire. European Comic Art. 6(1), pp.14-44.

  MEJ. Screech (2012). Jean-Marie Apostolides. Dans la Peau de Tintin. European Comic Art. 5(2), pp.114-116.

  MEJ. Screech (2011). Comics in French. The European bande dessinee in context by Laurence Grove. Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics. 2(1), pp.104-106.

  MATTHEW. SCREECH (2010). Remembering the Jazz Orpheus: Barney and the Blue Note by Loustal and Paringaux. Journal of Popular Culture. 43(2), pp.348-367.

  MEJ. Screech (2010). Introduction. Matthew Screech Guest Editor. European Comic Art. Special Edition on Herge. 3(2), pp.v-xiii.

  M. Screech (2008). Reading bande dessinee. Critical Approaches to the French-language Comic Strip. MODERN & CONTEMPORARY FRANCE. 16(3), pp.364-365.

  M. Screech (2008). Autobiographical Innovations: Edmond Baudoin's Éloge de la poussière. European Comic Art. 1(1), pp.57-85.

  MEJ. Screech (2004). Gotlib's progress. Belphégor: Littérature Populaire et Culture Médiatique. 4(1),

  M. Screech (1999). André Franquin, Master of the Ninth Art. Journal of Popular Culture. 33(3), pp.95-133.

  M. Screech (1996). The theatrical work of Ephraim Mikhael. REVUE D HISTOIRE DU THEATRE. 48(3), pp.337-352.

  MEJ. Screech (1996). Les oeuvres théâtrales d’Éphraïm Mikhaël. Revue d'histoire du théâtre. 3(191), pp.337-352.

• Chapters in books

  MEJ. Screech (2016). Continuing Clear Line 1983-2013. In: The Comics of Hergé. When the Lines are not so Clear. University Press of Mississippi,

  M. Screech (2005). Jean Giraud / Moebius: Nouveau Réalisme and Science Fiction. In: The Francophone Bande Dessinée. Amsterdam and New York: BRILL, pp.97-113.

  MEJ. Screech (2001). Correspondance entre Ephraim Mikhael et Camille Bloch. In: Ephraim Mikhael. Aux origines du Symbolisme. Second Volume. Lausanne: L'Age d''Homme, pp.317-483.

• Conferences

  MEJ. Screech (2013). Joint International Conference of Graphic Novels and Comics and International Bande dessinee Society. In: A Tale of Three Candides. Sfar, Meyran and Delcourt Recount Voltaire. European Comic Art.. MMU, 5/7/2011.

  MEJ. Screech (2010). International Bande dessinee Society. In: Remembering the Jazz Orpheus, Journal of Popular Culture. MMU, 8/7/2005. pp.348-367.

Invited papers

I gave a paper in French at Université Libre de Bruxelles in 2013 titled "Tintin au pays du Canard Enchainé.  Le héros de réinventé dans les dessins satiriques des années cinquante et soixante".

I was invited to lecture on bandes dessinées as visiting professor at the Ivy League university in Dartmouth College New Hampshire, USA in January 2016. 

I gave a paper by invitation at the International Conference Tintin au XXIe siecle at the University of Louvain la neuve, Belgium titled "1983-2013, la ligne claire continue" in May 2017.

I gave a public lecture by invitation at the Alliance française de Manchester titled "Tintin au pays du Canard Enchainé. Le héros de réinventé dans les dessins satiriques des années cinquante et soixante" in May 2017.

I gave a public lecture by invitation at th Cité internationale de la Bande dessinée, Angoulême, titled "Le mythe de Mai 1968 et la bande dessinée" in May 2018.    This has now been put on their website.

I gave the same public lecture by invitation at the Alliance française de Manchester in May 2018.

I gave a public lecture by invitation at Alliance française de Manchester in October 2019 titled  "Andre Franquin.  A Master of Belgian Comics".

Conference organisation

24-28 June 2019. I co-hosted a conference on graphic novels, BDs and comics with colleagues from MMU, Bournemouth, Glasgow and Dundee.  This conference was part funded by Berghahn, Intellect Press and Routledge.  It was held at MMU.

22-26 June 2015.  I was on the organising team for a conference on graphic novels, BDs and comics at the British Institute, University of London in Paris.  This conference was co-organised with colleagues from MMU, Bournemouth, Glasgow, Dundee and the British Institiute.  It was part funded by Berghahn, Intellect Press and Routledge

7-11 July 2011. I co-hosted a conference on graphic novels, BDs and comics with colleagues from MMU, Bournemouth and Dundee.  This conference was part funded by the Alliance française, Liverpool University Press, Intellect Press and Routledge.  It was held at MMU.

Expert reviewer for journals and publishers

I have worked by invitation as a peer reviewer for the publishers Liverpool University Press, Bloomsbury and Peter Lang as  well as for the following scholarly journals:  Modern and Contemporary France, Graphic Novels and Comics, Kult,  Nouvelles Etudes Francophones, Authorship, French Studies, European Comic Art, Libri & Liberi.

Expert reviewer for external funding bodies

I sit on the editorial board of the scholarly journal European Comic Art.

Visiting and honorary positions

In 2004/5 I taught English for 1 week at the University of Limoges under the aegis of the Socrates Teachers Exchange scheme. 

Membership of professional associations

Founder member of the International Bande Dessinée Society.