We are saddened to hear of the death of Adrianne Tooke, who was Fellow and Tutor in French at Somerville College from 1981 until her retirement in 2008. Adrianne was a scholar and editor of, among many things, Flaubert and Constant, as well as the visual arts.

Those of us who knew and worked with her can warmly testify to her colleague Almut Suerbaum's tribute: 'Adrianne was a wonderful, witty and independent-minded colleague, devoted to students in a no-nonsense way - and at the same time a serious scholar who enjoyed fun.'

A memorial service is planned for later in the year.