The Leslie A. Marchand memorial lectures, 2000–2015: A legacy in Byron studies

Abstract: Here are ten lectures from the series of annual lectures given in honour of Leslie Marchand. As Katharine Kernberger notes in her nicely conducted introduction: ‘the range of disciplines represented here goes beyond the usual limits of literary scholarship’ (p. xv) for there are articles by playwrights, publishers, medical authorities, as well as celebrated academics. Editing, too, must have been minimal in that the speaking, often anecdotal, character of the essays has been properly preserved. Most come with minimal endnotes. It does not read like the run of books on Byron published by a university press, but it is an extremely enjoyable and profitable read. Despite very varied approaches to Byron, the collection is unified simply by its attention to a single phenomenon – Byron’s life and works – and by the warmth of the many grateful references to Leslie Marchand whose name, Peter Graham well says, ‘invokes a blend of scholarly depth, range, and rigor, high-mindedness, industry, courtesy and kindness that cannot be copied’ (p. 123). I only met him a few times in 1988, but that was my lasting impression too. It is fleshed out in three opening essays recalling Marchand especially written for the volume by Hermione de Almeida, the late and much missed Byron Raizis, and Marsha Manns. The latter gives much interesting information about Marchand’s important role in the founding of the Byron Society in London in 1971 and the Byron Society of America two years later.

Author(s): Bernard Beatty, Alan Rawes, Piya Pal-Lapinski & Amy Louise Blaney

Date Published: 01 June 2022

Depositing User: Basiratu Kolawole

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3828/bj.2022.9

Keywords: Byron Society, Revolutionary politics in literature and music, Textual editing & Literary influence

Page(s): 1-12

Place of publication: United Kingdom

Publisher: Liverpool University Press

Subject(s): Literary Studies & Literary Criticism and Theory

Type of publication: Book reviews