The Author: Owen Heathcote is Honorary Visiting Reader in Modern French Studies at the University of Bradford. He researches on the relationship between violence, gender and representation in French literature and film and has published extensively on such authors as Balzac, Cardinal, Dustan, Duras, Guibert, Guyotat and Éric Jourdan. He has edited or co-edited a number of special journal issues and books, including ‘Murdering Marianne? Violence, Gender and Representation in French Literature and Film’, South Central Review (2002-2003) and Negotiating Boundaries: Identities, Sexualities, Diversities (2007).

• Contents: Mourning Becomes Prometheus: History, Space, Gender and Death in Balzac – Violence and Form in the Balzac Novel: Les Paysans, Illusions perdues and Splendeurs et misères des courtisanes – The Origins of Violence in Balzac: From Sténie to El Verdugo – Balzac ‘le fataliste’? Historical Materialism and Material Violence in Sur Catherine de Médicis and Le Réquisitionnaire – Post-Revolutionary Violence: Crossroads of Terror in Une ténébreuse affaire – The Violence of Touraine: Le Lys dans la vallée – Out in the City: History, Violence and Gender in L’Envers de l’histoire contemporaine – Violating Sexual Difference: La Fausse maîtresse, Autre étude de femme, and La Fille aux yeux d’or – Violent Sexualities? The Representation of Prostitution and the Prostitution of Representation – Violence, Politics and Death: Z. Marcas – The Poetics of Death in Albert Savarus – Mourning Becomes Prometheus: Homeopathy, Repair - and Unrest.