Notice on the Passing of Simon Gaunt

From our International President, Emma Cayley, 6 December 2021.

My very dear colleagues, Mes très chers collègues,

I am sending you this message from the British Branch with a heavy heart.

C’est avec un coeur lourd que je vous fais suivre cette annonce de la part de la branche britannique.


Dear British Branch members,

It was with immense sadness that we learned at the weekend of the death of Professor Simon Gaunt.

As members of the ICLS British Branch will know, Simon was one of the leading lights in our discipline. His dynamic scholarship in the areas of Occitan, French, Italian, philology, critical theory, and literary history was a transformative influence on medieval studies on the international stage. A collaborative, challenging interlocutor and a generous mentor, he was a great supporter of his students and colleagues. As a lecturer and supervisor, he was inspiring. He loved teaching, and his students adored him.

Simon studied for his PhD at the University of Warwick; he was a Research Fellow and then a Lecturer at the University of Cambridge, and moved to Kings College London in 1998. He was elected Fellow of the British Academy in July 2018.

Simon was instrumental in many discussions about the direction and focus of the ICLS British Branch. In the coming months, we will discuss ways to honour him and mark his contribution to the Society.

With our very best wishes,

Emma Cayley, President, ICLS British Branch
Miranda Griffin, Secretary, ICLS British Branch
Matthew Lampitt, Treasurer, ICLS British Branch


We will also be discussing ways to remember Simon, and reflect his wider contribution to the ICLS over many years.

Nous discuterons des manières dont nous pouvons commémorer notre ami Simon, et ses multiples contributions à notre société au fil des années.

Veuillez recevoir nos condoléances les plus sincères pour cette perte prématurée,

Sending our deepest sympathy to you all on this untimely loss,

Emma.