Katherine Dorothea Duncan-Jones, (13 May 1941 – 16 October 2022) was an English literature and

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

scholar. She was a Fellow of

New Hall, Cambridge New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...

(1965–1966) and then Somerville College, Oxford (1966–2001). She was also

Professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an academic rank at universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who professes". Professors ...

of English Literature at the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

from 1998 to 2001. She was a critic of Shakespeare.

Personal life

Duncan-Jones was born on 13 May 1941 to the philosopher Austin Duncan-Jones and the literary scholar Elsie Duncan-Jones (née Phare). Her brother is the historian Richard Duncan-Jones. She was educated at King Edward VI High School for Girls, Birmingham, an all-girls independent school. She studied at St Hilda's College, Oxford, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree and a

Bachelor of Letters Bachelor of Letters (BLitt or LittB; Latin ' or ') is a second undergraduate university degree in which students specialize in an area of study relevant to their own personal, professional, or academic development. This area of study may have been t ...

(BLitt) degree: as per tradition, her BA was later promoted to a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Th ...

(MA Oxon) degree. Duncan-Jones married the writer A. N. Wilson in 1971. Together they had two daughters: Emily, a classicist, and Bee Wilson, a food writer. They divorced in 1990. Duncan-Jones died from complications of dementia on 16 October 2022, at the age of 81.

Academic career

Duncan-Jones was Mary Ewart Residential Fellow at Somerville College, Oxford, from 1963 to 1965. She was then a

Fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

, from 1965 to 1966. She then returned to Somerville College and was Fellow and Tutor in English Literature between 1966 and her retirement in 2001. She was also

of English Literature at the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

from 1998 to 2001. She was a

senior research fellow A research fellow is an academic research position at a university or a similar research institution, usually for academic staff or faculty members. A research fellow may act either as an independent investigator or under the supervision of a pr ...

of Somerville College from 2001 until her death. In 1991, Duncan-Jones was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (FRSL). She was known for not being a fan of

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

who she thought a miser, social climber, a hater of women and self obsessed.

Selected works

* ''Sir Philip Sidney: Courtier Poet.'' Yale University Press 1991 * ''Sir Philip Sidney: The Major Works,'' editor. Oxford University Press 2009 * ''Shakespeare's Poems'', ed. Katherine Duncan-Jones and H. R. Woudhuysen, London 2007. * ''Shakespeare. An ungentle Life.'' London 2010. * ''Shakespeare. Upstart Crow to Sweet Swan 1592–1623.'' London 2011. * ''Shakespeare's Sonnets,'' editor. Arden 2010.

References

External links

Katherine Duncan-Jones
Oxford University {{DEFAULTSORT:Duncan-Jones, Katherine 1941 births 2022 deaths Shakespearean scholars Fellows of the Royal Society of Literature English women writers People educated at King Edward VI High School for Girls, Birmingham Fellows of Somerville College, Oxford Fellows of New Hall, Cambridge Alumni of St Hilda's College, Oxford