In Memoriam: Michael H. Black
Clare Hall is very sad to announce the death of Michael H. Black, an Emeritus Fellow of the College, aged 94.
Michael was a British author and held the position of University Publisher at Cambridge University Press. He was awarded a minor scholarship to Jesus College, Cambridge, and graduated with a first in Modern Languages and English in 1951.
After military service in Austria, Michael was appointed Assistant Secretary at Cambridge University Press in September 1951. From 1965 until 1978 he held the role of Chief Editor, and from that time until his retirement in 1987, he held the title of University Publisher.
Throughout his career, Michael’s special interest was in developing the Press’s English Literature list. He was a follower of F.R. Leavis and published the reprints of Leavis’ journal Scrutiny. He was also editor of The Cambridge Quarterly. Among the many achievements of Cambridge publishing in his time was the edition of the complete works of D.H. Lawrence, an author on whom Michael wrote four titles. Michael is also remembered by many in the mathematics education community as a valued supporter of the influential School Mathematics Project.
Michael was active as a writer in the latter half of the twentieth century, primarily as a literary critic. His publications include:
- The Literature of Fidelity London, Chatto & Windus, 1975
- Poetic Drama as Mirror of the Will, Vision Press, 1977
- Cambridge University Press: 1584-1984, Cambridge University Press, 1984
- D.H. Lawrence: the early fiction: a commentary, Macmillan, 1986
- D.H. Lawrence: the early philosophical works: a commentary, Macmillan, 1991
- D.H. Lawrence: Sons and Lovers, Cambridge University Press, 1992
- Lawrence’s England: the major fiction, 1913-20, Palgrave in association with St Antony’s, Oxford, 2001