Dr. Martin Hurcombe

Biography

Martin J Hurcombe is a Professor of French Studies at the University of Bristol. His research interests encompass the history of sport and sports writing, particularly focusing on print journalism from the late nineteenth to the twentieth centuries. He is the co-editor of 'Sport Pursuit: War and Peace from the Nineteenth Century to the Present' and is currently writing a book provisionally titled 'French Cycling Print Journalism: Making Sport Culture'. This work aims to investigate the historical aspects of French cycling and textual representation, with a particular emphasis on sports journalism and autobiography. Hurcombe is also involved in a British Academy-funded project 'Gender Injustice in Action Sports', where he explores the intricate relationship between representations of conflict and politics in early twentieth-century France. His notable publications include 'Novelists at War: Ideology and the Absurd in the French Combat Novel of the Great War' and 'French Political Travel Writing in the Inter-War Years: Radical Departures'. Hurcombe’s interests also extend to French crime fiction, particularly the novels of Sébastien Japrisot. He actively participates in various scholarly activities and collaborates on research projects in the arts, emphasizing the exploration of Bristol-Toulouse research synergies.

Research Interests