Barbara Lebrun

Barbara Lebrun is a Senior Lecturer in French Cultural Studies at the University of Manchester, School of Arts, Languages and Cultures, within the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures. She has been a faculty member since 2002 and is actively engaged in research, teaching, and PhD supervision. Her work spans French popular music, cultural identity, gender, race, and audience reception.

• PhD, University of Southampton (2003)
• PGCE, Homerton College, Cambridge (1998)
• MA in French as a Foreign Language, Université d'Aix-en-Provence (1998)
• MA in English Studies, Université de Rouen (1997)

Barbara Lebrun's research focuses on French popular music since the 1950s, with particular attention to cultural identity, race, gender, and the dynamics of mainstream versus alternative music cultures. Her work explores the representation of whiteness, exoticism, and cosmopolitanism, and she is currently developing a project on racial diversity in French variétés from the 1960s to 1980s. She has authored two influential monographs: Protest Music in France (2009) and Dalida. Mythe et Mémoire (2020), and has co-edited several scholarly collections on music, performance, and cultural memory.

Her recent publications (2022–2024) reveal a strong thematic focus on the feminization of French popular music, the representation of blackness, and the intersection of race, power, and commercial success. Articles such as 'Métis in the Mainstream' and 'Corps noir, succes blanc' demonstrate her critical engagement with racial dynamics in French pop, while her work on Christine and the Queens and Dalida highlights her interest in gender, identity, and global Frenchness.

Barbara Lebrun has received significant recognition for her scholarship and mentorship:

• Excellence Award as Doctoral Supervisor, UK Council of Graduate Education (UKCGE), 2025
• IASPM Prize for Best Anglophone Monograph (2011) for Protest Music in France

She is an active supervisor of PhD students, with current projects on Vietnamese and Francophone cinema, Grace Jones, and opera translation. She has successfully co-supervised numerous PhDs on topics ranging from Jewish-Muslim relations to Morrissey’s lyrics and identity in contemporary theatre. She also serves on independent panels and acted as External Examiner for French Studies at the University of Sheffield (2016–2020). Her research contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those related to reduced inequalities and quality education.

Lebrun is affiliated with several research networks and has contributed to public scholarship through media appearances, including a featured podcast on Dalida with afikra and expert commentary in French media (France Inter, Le Monde). She leads a vibrant research agenda that bridges academic rigor with public engagement.