by David West | Sep 21, 2025 | News
On the 21st of September, 1937, J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit was published. John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, known widely as J.R.R. Tolkien, was an eminent English writer, philologist, and academic, celebrated for his timeless contributions to the world of literature. Born...
by David West | Sep 20, 2025 | News
The chancellor of the University of Oxford is elected by a vote of graduates, as is the University Poet. In 2015 my college’s senior tutor in English urged us to vote for Wole Soyinka as the next University Poet. I read a selection of poems by the candidates, who...
by David West | Sep 20, 2025 | News
On the 20th of September, 1854, British and French forces defeated the Russians at the Battle of Alma. This was a pivotal engagement during the Crimean War, which saw an alliance of British, French, and Ottoman Empire forces pitted against the Russian Empire. This...
by David West | Sep 19, 2025 | News
On the 19th of September, 1356, an English army under the command of Edward the Black Prince defeated the French army at the Battle of Poitiers. The roots of the Battle of Poitiers lie in the complex dynastic disputes that fuelled the Hundred Years’ War. Edward...
by David West | Sep 18, 2025 | News
On the 18th of September, 1066, Harald Hardrada landed with Tostig Godwinson at the mouth of the River Humber and began his invasion of England. Harald Hardrada, King of Norway from 1046 until his death in 1066, played a pivotal role in the dramatic events of that...
