Peter Messent
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(B.A., 1969)
(MPhil, 1971)
Peter Messent | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1946 or 1947 Wimbledon, England |
| Died | (aged 79) |
| Alma mater | University of Manchester (B.A., 1969) (MPhil, 1971) |
| Occupation | Academic |
| Years active | 1971–2011 |
| Spouse(s) |
Brenda Courcha
(m. 1971; div. 1987)Carin Davis
(m. 1994; died 2023) |
| Children | 2 |
Peter B. Messent (1946 or 1947 – March 2026) was a British academic who was a distinguished professor of American Studies at the University of Nottingham,[1] and the author of several books of literary studies about Mark Twain.
Messent was born in Wimbledon, London, the son of Rosa (née Burger) and John Messent, then the deputy clerk of the Metropolitan Water Board. He had three siblings.[2]
After attending Wimbledon College, he gained a Bachelor of Arts degree in American Studies (1969) from the University of Manchester, followed by a Master of Philosophy degree on humour in American fiction (1971).[2]
Career
After lecturing at Manchester for a year, Messent accepted a position at the University of Nottingham, teaching American literature.[2] He spent a year (from August 1977–August 1978) lecturing as a Fulbright scholar at California State University in Sacramento, California, hosted by Vernon T. Hornback Jr.[3] Becoming a full professor in 1999[2] and later serving as head of the department of American and Canadian studies, and distinguished professor, Messent remained at Nottingham until his retirement in September 2011.[4]
