Bob Davidson

Bob Davidson, Professor of Spanish and Catalan in our department, is also Mary Rowell Jackman Professor of Humanities at Victoria College and affiliated faculty with the Culinaria Research Centre. He specializes in Modern Peninsular Literature and Culture with an emphasis on cultural theories of food and hospitality. He is the author of Jazz Age Barcelona (U of Toronto Press, 2009; shortlisted for the Canada Prize in the Humanities) and The Hotel: Occupied Space (U of Toronto Press, 2018). His latest project, The Scent of Spain: Fragrance, Odour and Culture, considers key fragrances and smells that were part of Spain’s modern experience. Prof. Davidson currently serves as Director of the Northrop Frye Centre at Victoria College and as Chair of the Manuscript Review Committee of University of Toronto Press. In 2022, he was awarded the XXXIV Premi Josep M. Batista i Roca – Memorial Enric Garriga Trullols for the promotion of Catalan culture abroad. He takes his martini with a little extra vermouth and an olive.