Retiring English professor “distinguished scholar; generous, humble and deeply collegial”
The Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Professor Sarah Leggott, said that in the ten years since Professor Williams came to Victoria he had made an extraordinary contribution to the English Programme—and to FHSS more broadly—as a scholar, teacher and academic colleague.
“Mark is recognised nationally and internationally as one of the preeminent scholars of New Zealand and postcolonial literature, and I don’t think it’s an over-statement to say that his work has shaped the field of the literary history of Aotearoa,” said Professor Leggott. “He is a distinguished scholar who is generous, humble and deeply collegial.”
The head of the School of English, Film, Theatre and Media Studies, Professor Kathryn Walls also spoke, recalling Professor Williams’ appointment to Victoria. After being made Professor at the University of Canterbury he swapped with Victoria University of Wellington’s Paul Millar for two years to join his wife (Professor Jane Stafford) in Wellington, before transferring here permanently. The move meant he had to step down to Associate Professor for three years before being able to apply to be a Professor at Victoria, something he did with exceptional grace. It also gave him the rare distinction of having been apointed Professor at two universities.
Professor Lydia Wevers looked back on her close friendship with Professor Williams, which began as literary sparring—each published cutting reviews of the other’s works—and evolved into teaching together. This sometimes meant having to explain to students that they were actually very close friends, despite their many arguments in class.
“I continue to think it was a really productive way to run a class but I think there are very few people I could do that with,” she said. “Mark’s charm and our tendency to spar with each other have been constant elements in what is now a long and deep friendship.”
Professor Wevers described Professor Williams as “generous and unvaryingly kind to students”, and said his openness and collegiality—exemplified by the large number of co-authored works in his bibliography—was unusual for a literary scholar, as they are “typically too egotistical to co-publish. Mark is a wonderful exception.”
Professor Wevers said Professor Williams had completed some very large and significant projects. She described Maoriland: New Zealand Literature 1672-1914 (co-edited with Jane Stafford) as a seminal work, noting also his more recent contributions to the field published by the university presses of both Oxford (vol 9 of The Oxford History of the Novel in English) and Cambridge (A History of New Zealand Literature).
Professor Harry Ricketts spoke of their work together as English professors, including collaborating on book chapters and co-supervising students. He said Professor Williamswas an exemplary PhD supervisor, and that he personally learned a lot from him.
“He is deeply knowledgeable, offering crisp, insightful and generous feedback, adept at drawing out, and extending, the students’ thinking.”
Professor Ricketts described Professor Williams as a remarkably prolific scholar
of both local and international renown, and a model colleague.
“He has made an enormous contribution to the English Programme (and to the School more generally) as a mentor to younger—and older—colleagues,” he said. “This is an often under-sung contribution to university life, but I know from personal experience and from other colleagues how much his support, his advice, his good humour and his interest have meant.”
Professor Ricketts also spoke about Professor Williams’ influential work as a literary reviewer, including his mysterious alter-egos ‘Wyndham Hardcaster’ and ‘Melanie Harris’.
He quoted Professor Williams himself, who said of his time as editor of journals Outlook and Landfall: “The rule was not to pull punches, whoever was under review—review the book, not the author or the reputation. This was the period of reviews activity I most enjoyed, although it was rather pugilistic.”
The School, Faculty and University would like to thank Professor Williams for his remarkable contribution to Victoria, and we wish him all the very best for a happy and fulfilling retirement.