College News in Brief...

Fellowship Retirements

This term saw the retirement of three of the longest serving members of the Keble Fellowship, who, between them, have taught over a hundred cohorts of Keble students. Professor Stephen Kearsey, Tutor in Biology, joined in 1985; Dr Michael Hawcroft, Besse Fellow and Tutor in French, joined in 1989; and Professor Ed Peel, Tutor in Jurisprudence, joined in 1994. They leave with the deepest thanks and warmest wishes from generations of students and colleagues alike.

Poetry Internship

Thanks to a generous donation, the College and Oxford Poetry are delighted to announce a new collaboration: The Oxford Poetry Internship. The 18-month internship will offer a Keble student hands-on experience in the internal operations of the long-running and successful literary magazine, Oxford Poetry, allowing them to make valuable connections within the literary world, deepen their understanding of literature and literary production, and develop skills which will equip them to work in the publishing industry in the future, should they wish.

Nabila Walji Photo Competition

The Nabila Walji Photography Competition returned in Trinity, inviting students and staff to submit photos in memory of former Visual, Material and Museum Anthropology MSc student Nabila. Nabila loved capturing the world around her through her camera lens, and her unique way of seeing the world became the inspiration behind the competition theme, ‘Beauty in the Mundane’. This term’s winner was DPhil Engineering Science student Phoebe Cheung for her submission of a striking white and blue spiral staircase, as selected by the Walji family. Thank you to everyone who submitted entries for this term’s competition.

Librarian Send-Off

We are sorry to share that our College Librarian, Fiona Wilson, will be leaving Keble at the end of the summer. Since starting in 2021, she has been an integral part of both the library and wider College community, supporting our students and providing her dedication and expertise in managing our Special Collections. We are truly grateful for everything she has brought to Keble and wish her the very best for her next steps.

Manuscript on Loan

Keble’s Manuscript 39 is a luxurious Book of Hours produced in Paris in around 1440, and is one of the treasures of the Library. It returned to France on loan last month to feature in an exhibition at the Condé Museum focusing on another book of Hours called Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, or the ‘Mona Lisa of Manuscripts’. The artist of our manuscript was clearly familiar with the Très Riches Heures: as the exhibition demonstrates, he imitated some of its details in his own remarkable calendar illustration within the book, depicting each month of the year. The exhibition is open until 5 October 2025.