Patrick ffrench

Patrick ffrench is a Professor of French at King’s College London and co-director of its Centre for Humanities and Health. His work focuses on 20th-century French thought, literature, and critical theory, with notable expertise in Georges Bataille, Roland Barthes, and Marcel Proust. He holds a PhD from University College London (UCL, 1995), supervised by Annette Lavers, and was a British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow at UCL.

Research interests include the intersections of French literature, psychoanalysis, film studies, and critical theory. Current projects explore Guattari’s CERFI research collective, institutional psychotherapy, and French psychoanalyst Pierre Fédida. His publications span monographs on Tel Quel, Bataille’s legacy, and cinematic themes in Proust and Barthes.

Key scientific recognition includes the British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship. His academic trajectory includes roles as Reader in French (1999) and promotion to Professor (2007) at King’s College.

He has co-edited influential works such as The Tel Quel Reader (Routledge, 2000) and special issues on Jean-Luc Nancy, demonstrating leadership in curating critical discourse.