It is with great affection and sadness that Somerville College marks the passing of its honorary fellow Dame Esther Rantzen (1959, English). Esther was a trailblazing broadcaster and campaigner whose zest for life translated into lasting improvement in the lives of others.

Esther Rantzen (1940-2026) - Somerville College Oxford

It is with great affection and sadness that Somerville College marks the passing of Dame Esther Rantzen (1959, English), honorary fellow of Somerville College, whose life and work embodied our College...

some.ox.ac.uk

Somerville College is deeply saddened by the news that one of our students has lost her mother in the devastating flash floods in Nepal and China. The Somerville student body is joining together to fundraise in memory of Minshu’s mother, to support all those who have been affected by the floods.

Somerville Community Fundraiser for Nepal Floods Emergency

Help Somerville Student Body raise money to support The British Red Cross Society

justgiving.com

An excellent episode of Great Lives on our alumna Iris Murdoch!

Great Lives - Russell Kane on Iris Murdoch - BBC Sounds

Famous guests pick someone they love or admire... or both

bbc.co.uk

How did 24 rabbits nearly destroy a continent? Our Former Junior Research Fellow Joel Alves @joel-alves.bsky.social addresses this question for the BBC Ideas series, in a fascinating video, made in collaboration with Oxford's Social Sciences Division!

The 24 rabbits that invaded Australia

How one of the greatest environmental disasters in history was unleashed by the unintentional actions of one man - Thomas Austin.

bbc.co.uk

Last weekend Prof Radhika Khosla was on The Climate Question podcast discussing the rising global demand for air conditioning. Listen on BBC Sounds: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... @smithschool.ox.ac.uk @oxindiacentre.bsky.social @somervillecollege.bsky.social @oxmartinschool.bsky.social

The Climate Question - Is air conditioning the answer to extreme heat? - BBC Sounds

Air con is increasingly seen as a lifeline not a luxury. What about its climate impact?

bbc.co.uk

New BBC drama The Rapture has come out at a frighteningly relevant time, with its themes of extreme heat and a looming climate apocalypse. Somervillian Liz Jensen (1978, English) wrote the 2009 novel which inspired the show. She joined us to discuss cli-fi, and what comes next.

Meet the Somervillian Writer Behind the BBC’s The Rapture - Somerville College Oxford

New BBC drama The Rapture has come out at the perfect time, with its themes of extreme heat and a looming climate apocalypse. Somervillian Liz Jensen (1978, English) wrote the novel which the show is ...

some.ox.ac.uk

In Trinity term, we loved sharing the sustainability work that Somervillians from across our community are doing! In this article, Sustainability Rep Ashima Gulati looks back at our Green Fridays series, and shares the lessons she took from it.

Green Fridays at Somerville: Sustainability within and beyond the College - Somerville College Oxford

On Earth Day 2026, we launched a special online series called Green Fridays at Somerville. At its heart was a simple question: what forms of sustainability-related work, care and curiosity are already...

some.ox.ac.uk

We are absolutely delighted to share the news that our Fellow & Tutor in International Relations, Professor Patricia Owens has been confirmed as a fellow of the British Academy. Election to its Fellowship is the highest honour that the British Academy confers on UK residents.

Professor Owens Elected to Fellowship of the British Academy - Somerville College Oxford

We are delighted to share that our Fellow & Tutor in International Relations, Professor Patricia Owens has today been confirmed as a fellow of the British Academy. Election to its Fellowship is the hi...

some.ox.ac.uk

We're delighted to share this photo essay by Dr Michelle Kwok, who is completing the MSc in Global Health Leadership at Somerville.

Returning North: A Photo Essay - Somerville College Oxford

Dr Michelle Kwok is an allergist based in Montréal, Canada, currently completing an MSc in Global Health Leadership at Somerville College. Her clinical outreach work takes her regularly to Cree and In...

some.ox.ac.uk

On the last day of its rehearsals, we spoke to playwright Ella Road (2010, English) about her new play, Robata, currently on at the Schwarzman. Ella uses Čapek’s 1920 play R.U.R. as a jumping-off point to ask urgent questions about big tech and the uncanny valley of AI.

Ella Road Talks ‘Robota’ - Somerville College Oxford

Ella Road (2010, English) is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter whose credits include Black Mirror and Doctor Who. Her new play, Robota, is the first full-scale theatrical production to be s...

some.ox.ac.uk

On what would have been the Austrian writer Ingeborg Bachmann’s 100th birthday, we are delighted to announce the forthcoming publication of an English translation of her fragments, translated and compiled by two Second Year Germanists at Somerville.

Fragmented: Somerville Students Publish New Translations of Ingeborg Bachmann - Somerville College Oxford

On what would have been the Austrian writer Ingeborg Bachmann’s 100th birthday, we are delighted to announce the forthcoming publication of an English translation of her fragments, translated and comp...

some.ox.ac.uk

The memorial service for our Honorary Fellow and alumna, Professor Dame Averil Cameron (1940–2026) takes place today at Keble College. To mark this occasion, we thought we'd share the Last Word episode which celebrates her life and work. We recommend giving it a listen. buff.ly/GQ0td3S

Great to speak at @somervillecollege.bsky.social last night about ‘Radical Friendship’, based on my research on anti-racist organising in the 20th century. Always great to spend time here at Somerville ✨

We were immensely fortunate to welcome Dame Karen Pierce, former British ambassador to Washington, as our speaker for the return of the James Bryce Memorial Lecture on Friday 15th May. www.some.ox.ac.uk/news/the-dip...

The Diplomatic View: Remembering the James Bryce Memorial Lecture 2026 - Somerville College Oxford

We were immensely fortunate to have the opportunity of welcoming Dame Karen Pierce, former British ambassador to Washington, as our speaker for the return of the James Bryce Memorial Lecture on Friday...

some.ox.ac.uk

We are proud to announce the winners of this year’s Pat Harris Spirit of Somerville Award: Reuben Smith (2023, Chemistry) and Ishani Mookherjee (2022, Law).

Pat Harris Spirit of Somerville Award Winners Announced - Somerville College Oxford

Somerville College is very proud to announce the winners of this year’s Pat Harris Spirit of Somerville Award: Reuben Smith (2023, Chemistry)...

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We found this a really interesting read, which includes an interview with our night porter, John, who has worked at Somerville for 19 years!

24/7: College porters and the Oxford night shift - Cherwell

For many, the night lodge exists as a background certainty, noticed chiefly in moments of crisis, vulnerability, or inconvenience.

cherwell.org

Somerville is delighted to announce that the Grammy-award winning composer and conductor Eric Whitacre will be our Musician in Residence next academic year.

Grammy Award-Winning Composer Eric Whitacre to be Somerville Musician in Residence - Somerville College Oxford

Somerville College is delighted to announce that the celebrated composer and conductor Eric Whitacre will be Musician in Residence at College next academic year. Eric Whitacre is one of today’s most w...

some.ox.ac.uk

Somerville is delighted that Moonrise, the new album composed by Christopher Churcher and performed by The Choir of Somerville College, Oxford, has been selected as Georgia Mann’s Essential Classics Album of the Week on Radio 3. Read more and listen here: www.some.ox.ac.uk/news/somervi...

Delighted to discover Christopher Churcher's recent debut album Moonrise. Such uplifting #choral #music 'celebrating #queer love, identity and joy'. It's Georgia Mann's Album of the Week on BBC Radio 3's Essential Classics. 🌈🎵 www.resonusclassics.com/products/moo... @somervillecollege.bsky.social

Moonrise: Choral Works by Christopher Churcher | RES10380

Moonrise is the first album recording from young composer Christopher Churcher with works written between the ages of 17 and 21 while studying at Oxford.

resonusclassics.com

Beautiful day yesterday @somervillecollege.bsky.social Our incredibly talented gardening team make it a lovely place to be.

In case you missed it - Cherwell's interview with our principal Catherine Royle is an excellent read!

‘My aim is to make everyone equally unhappy’: Catherine Royle on Somerville, the Foreign Office, and the importance of pragmatism - Cherwell

Catherine Royle explains how a career in the Foreign Office and NATO is shaping her approach as Somerville College's principal.

cherwell.org

Beautiful tulips at @somervillecollege.bsky.social

The Schwarzman Centre is opening its doors this Saturday (25 April) for a free festival celebrating the humanities. Explore Oxford’s newest cultural space with music, dance, film, family activities & short talks from academics. ALL WELCOME! No need to book; just drop in!

Open House

Curious about what’s inside? The Schwarzman Centre doors are wide open and you are invited. This free-entry Saturday festival brings the building to life, celebrating the launch of our cultural progra...

schwarzmancentre.ox.ac.uk

We can't wait to welcome former members of Somerville College Choir back to College this Sunday! They will be joining current choir members for our weekly Choral Contemplation in Somerville Chapel, at 5.30pm - all are welcome to come and listen. We have a feeling it's going to sound good!

Happy Easter! We hope that those celebrating today have a peaceful and joyful time, and that everyone is enjoying the signs of spring and new life.

Chag Pesach Sameach to all our Jewish students, alumni, colleagues and friends who are celebrating. We wish you a joyful and meaningful passover!

The Guardian has published an obituary of Professor Dame Carole Jordan, our Tutor in Physics, who sadly died on 3rd Febuary. www.theguardian.com/science/2026...

Dame Carole Jordan obituary

Astrophysicist who studied the outer atmospheres of cool stars including the corona of the sun, visible during eclipses

theguardian.com

This March as we celebrate International Women’s Day – we celebrate Women in Politics and International Relations. Explore inspiring collaborations between female students and their supervisors, shared in their own words: https://www.politics.ox.ac.uk/international-womens-day-8th-march-2026

Our History Fellow Professor Natalia Nowakowska has recorded a historical guide to Kraków for the ‘History’s Greatest Cities’ podcast, available to listen to now. Professor Nowakowska explores Kraków’s history, in conversation with journalist and travel writer Paul Bloomfield.

History's Greatest Cities

Podcast · History Extra · Travel writer and history buff Paul Bloomfield will be joining expert guides with rich local and historical knowledge. Venturing to the great cities of Europe, Africa, Asia…

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We're incredibly excited about the new exhibition at Kensington Palace, The Last Princesses of Punjab. It features Princesses Catherine and Bamba Duleep Singh, who studied at Somerville in the early 1890s. We were delighted to lend photographs from Somerville's archives to the exhibition.

Exhibition to tell story of Punjabi princess and pioneering suffragette Sophia Duleep Singh

The Last Princesses of Punjab opens on Thursday at Kensington Palace

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