Emeritus Professor Malcolm Heath

The following tribute has been contributed by Emma Stafford, Professor of Greek Culture.

Colleagues will be sorry to learn of the death, on 13 February 2025, of Emeritus Professor Malcolm Heath.  Since his retirement in 2022 he had unfortunately been in ill health, though he was well supported by friends and family, and had received visits by colleagues from the department up until November last year.

Malcolm was lecturer then Professor of Greek Language and Literature for 34 years at Leeds (1988-2022).  An outstanding scholar, he was author of 8 monographs and more than 70 articles ranging across an extraordinary breadth of interests, from Homeric epic poetry via tragedy, comedy and Aristotelean philosophy to the rhetorical theory of late antiquity - in all these areas his work has been highly influential.  He was also on the editorial boards of several journals, and will be remembered by many for his phenomenal record in reviewing.  In addition to more than 60 individual book reviews, he had responsibility from 2005 for Greece and Rome’s biannual subject review in Greek Literature – by the time he retired, his reviews had covered 426 books, in consistently pithy style.  His care for the discipline’s future was demonstrated both by his supervision and examination of postgraduate students and by his promotion of Open Access, of which he was a characteristically early adopter. He was an enthusiastic supporter of the work of the Classical Association for many years, during which he acted as treasurer for the local branch.

Upon his retirement in October 2022, he was awarded the title and status of Emeritus Professor

All in all, Malcolm’s contribution to the discipline of Classics was exceptional.  But more than this, he was both witty and kind, always generous in his support of both students and colleagues.  He is sadly missed by all who had the honour of working with him.

The funeral service will take place at 1.00pm on Friday 11 April 2025 at St. Michael’s Church Headingley, on which day the flag on the Parkinson Building will be flown at half-mast in his memory.