It is with great sadness and shock that we write to tell you of Professor Jarrod Hayes’ passing on 2 June 2025. Jarrod has been professor of French Studies at Monash University for the last seven years and quickly became a beloved fixture in the French Studies community. He was a tireless mentor, a sharp and kind editor, and one of the most beautiful writers in literary studies and more generally in the academic circles in which we travel. Jarrod’s professional passion was working with his graduate students and nurturing not only their scholarship, but their careers. This generosity extended beyond French Studies, including in his recent role as HDR Director at Monash where he supervised projects across the Arts and Humanities.
Jarrod’s books include Queering Nations: Marginal Sexualities in the Maghreb (2000)and Queer Roots for the Diaspora: Ghosts in the Family Tree (2016). Jarrod has written extensively on postcolonial and queer theory, has given us fascinating keynotes at the Australian Society for French Studies annual conference, and was more recently working on crime fiction projects. Many of us know him as the editor of the Australian Journal of French Studies which is a top 10 journal in the field.
We will aim to properly honour Professor Jarrod Hayes at the 2025 Australian Society of French Studies conference in Newcastle this year. Newcastle, 2015, is where he made his Australian début with a keynote. While we wait to raise a glass of pinot grigio together, you can share your memories of this brilliant colleague on a memorial wall: Memorial for Jarrod Hayes. Details of a memorial service to be held in Melbourne will be circulated soon.
With love and gratitude for all Jarrod meant to us personally and professionally,
Julie (Robert) and Amy (Hubbell)