James Grieve's academic life was spent at the Australian National University, Canberra. He began as a senior tutor in the Department of French in 1961, and later became lecturer, senior lecturer and reader. Following his 'retirement' in 1999, he remained at the university as a visiting fellow until the close of 2019. In addition to his scholarly works (particularly translations from French in English, including many works by Proust), Grieve also wrote fiction for young adults.
Grieve was a supporter of the Canberra Symphony Orchestra, Amnesty International, Save the Children and women's breast cancer research.
Source: 'No Time Lost: Translator, Teacher, Scholar', The Canberra Times, 14 March 2020, p. 17.