Peter B. Messent (1946 or 1947 â March 2026) was a British academic who was professor of American Studies at the University of Nottingham, and the author of several books of literary studies about Mark Twain. He died in 2026, at the age of 79.
Messent was born in Wimbledon, London, the son of Rosa (née Burger) and John Messent, then the deputy clerk of the Metropolitan Water Board. He had three siblings.
After attending Wimbledon College, he gained a Bachelor of Arts degree in American Studies (1969) from the University of Manchester, followed by a Master of Philosophy degree on humour in American fiction (1971).
After lecturing at Manchester for a year, Messent accepted a position at the University of Nottingham, teaching American literature. He spent a year (from August 1977âÂÂAugust 1978) lecturing as a Fulbright scholar at California State University in Sacramento, California, hosted by Vernon T. Hornback Jr. Becoming a full professor in 1999 and later serving as head of the department of American and Canadian studies, Messent remained at Nottingham until his retirement in September 2011.
Messent was an avid fan of Nottingham Forest F.C.. He later enjoyed playing golf.
Messent married Brenda Courcha in 1971, with whom he had two children. They divorced in 1987. He later married Carin Davis in 1994, who died in 2023.
Messent died in March 2026, at the age of 79.
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