Richard Ovenden
@richove.bsky.social
Bodley's Librarian, @bodleian.ox.ac.uk & Head of Gardens, Libraries & Museums @ox.ac.uk OBE. FSA. FRHistS, FRSE. President, DPC. Fellow, @Ballioloxford.Bsky.social. Member, @AmPhilsociety.Bsky.social Hon. Fellow @britishacademy.bsky.social
The @ashmoleanmuseum.bsky.social looking mighty fine!
November 11, 2025 at 9:20 AM
The @ashmoleanmuseum.bsky.social looking mighty fine!
In this weekend’s @theobserveruk.bsky.social I review the thought provoking new book by @naomialderman.bsky.social ‘Don’t burn anyone at the stake today’ (Fig Tree) which examines our current information crisis. HTTPS://observer.co.uk/culture/books/article/how-to-survive-an-information-crisis
How to survive an information crisis | The Observer
observer.co.uk
November 11, 2025 at 8:01 AM
In this weekend’s @theobserveruk.bsky.social I review the thought provoking new book by @naomialderman.bsky.social ‘Don’t burn anyone at the stake today’ (Fig Tree) which examines our current information crisis. HTTPS://observer.co.uk/culture/books/article/how-to-survive-an-information-crisis
The most incredible library in the world, @bodleian.ox.ac.uk opened to OTD 1602, through the energy, money & commitment of Sir Thomas Bodley. It began with 5k books, & now more than 22m, with 2m+reader visits a year, & multi-million online users across the globe. Privilged to be its 25th librarian!
November 8, 2025 at 7:20 AM
The most incredible library in the world, @bodleian.ox.ac.uk opened to OTD 1602, through the energy, money & commitment of Sir Thomas Bodley. It began with 5k books, & now more than 22m, with 2m+reader visits a year, & multi-million online users across the globe. Privilged to be its 25th librarian!
Please apply!
The idea of spending more time at the Bodleian Libraries sounds tempting
ARCHIVAL FUNDING: Ann Ball Bodley Visiting Fellowship in Women’s History, to use Bodleian Libraries collections to advance scholarship in women’s history, of any geographical area and historical period. Deadline 28th Nov. www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/csb/fellowsh...
October 31, 2025 at 8:27 AM
Please apply!
So lucky to have been in conversation with the amazing and pioneering photographer Joel Meyerowitz, for the 2025 Richard Benson Lecture in the Reproduced Image @bodleian.ox.ac.uk part of our contribution to PhotoOxford!
October 30, 2025 at 12:44 PM
So lucky to have been in conversation with the amazing and pioneering photographer Joel Meyerowitz, for the 2025 Richard Benson Lecture in the Reproduced Image @bodleian.ox.ac.uk part of our contribution to PhotoOxford!
Very sad to see this - I enjoyed meeting him - a great man!
@richove.bsky.social John was a great fan of your book 'Burning the books' He was delighted to have met you.
Just heard the sad news that John Osman, the doyen of BBC foreign correspondents and an inspiration to people like me, has died. A life really well lived. Farewell dear friend.
October 30, 2025 at 12:33 PM
Very sad to see this - I enjoyed meeting him - a great man!
Reposted by Richard Ovenden
ARCHIVAL FUNDING: Ann Ball Bodley Visiting Fellowship in Women’s History, to use Bodleian Libraries collections to advance scholarship in women’s history, of any geographical area and historical period. Deadline 28th Nov. www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/csb/fellowsh...
Bodleian Visiting Fellowships in Special Collections
www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk
October 28, 2025 at 3:36 PM
ARCHIVAL FUNDING: Ann Ball Bodley Visiting Fellowship in Women’s History, to use Bodleian Libraries collections to advance scholarship in women’s history, of any geographical area and historical period. Deadline 28th Nov. www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/csb/fellowsh...
Reposted by Richard Ovenden
Come and join me and @carosanderson.bsky.social at @stroudbookfestival.bsky.social on Bonfire Night. No books will be harmed during the event - even though I will be talking about 'Burning the Books' (available from @johnmurrays.bsky.social & @harvardpress.bsky.social)!
🔥 Firewords Night🔥
Ten Stroud authors will read from books that have inspired their writing. And our special guest for the evening is Richard Ovenden, author of “Burning the Books: A History of Knowledge Under Attack”.
Profits from this evening’s event will be donated to @readforgood 📚
Ten Stroud authors will read from books that have inspired their writing. And our special guest for the evening is Richard Ovenden, author of “Burning the Books: A History of Knowledge Under Attack”.
Profits from this evening’s event will be donated to @readforgood 📚
October 24, 2025 at 7:20 AM
Come and join me and @carosanderson.bsky.social at @stroudbookfestival.bsky.social on Bonfire Night. No books will be harmed during the event - even though I will be talking about 'Burning the Books' (available from @johnmurrays.bsky.social & @harvardpress.bsky.social)!
Early morning Port Meadow
October 24, 2025 at 6:34 AM
Early morning Port Meadow
Early morning Port Meadow
October 24, 2025 at 6:34 AM
Early morning Port Meadow
Just signed a stack of copies of The Bovadium Fragments (out now from HarperCollins). Very sad that I cannot sign with the late great Christopher Tolkien who suggested I write an essay to go alongside his father’s text (and his own brilliant editing).
October 20, 2025 at 9:00 AM
Just signed a stack of copies of The Bovadium Fragments (out now from HarperCollins). Very sad that I cannot sign with the late great Christopher Tolkien who suggested I write an essay to go alongside his father’s text (and his own brilliant editing).
I’m hugely proud of the team at the Oxford University Botanic Garden and Arboretum - making facilities for the local community and combining it with science research and communication!
Not only are there beautiful trees at Harcourt Arboretum, but a friend went yesterday and tells me there is a fab new playground. Photos below.
Thanks @richove.bsky.social - we hugely appreciate child-friendly Oxford Uni spaces.
Thanks @richove.bsky.social - we hugely appreciate child-friendly Oxford Uni spaces.
October 19, 2025 at 9:55 AM
I’m hugely proud of the team at the Oxford University Botanic Garden and Arboretum - making facilities for the local community and combining it with science research and communication!
Oh boy I have just finished a new book by one of the greatest writers we have. It. Is. So. Good. Will share more when I can!
October 18, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Oh boy I have just finished a new book by one of the greatest writers we have. It. Is. So. Good. Will share more when I can!
Can’t wait to dive into this -
Zadie Smith must be the finest essayist of these times?
Zadie Smith must be the finest essayist of these times?
October 17, 2025 at 6:18 AM
Can’t wait to dive into this -
Zadie Smith must be the finest essayist of these times?
Zadie Smith must be the finest essayist of these times?
What a brilliant Romanes lecture @ox.ac.uk from Mishal Husain last night - full of history, personal experience as well as contemporary commentary and criticism - delivered with such conviction and humanity.
October 15, 2025 at 10:41 AM
What a brilliant Romanes lecture @ox.ac.uk from Mishal Husain last night - full of history, personal experience as well as contemporary commentary and criticism - delivered with such conviction and humanity.
Thank you Hetan - humbling to be honoured with such amazing people - all who are making the world better through humanities and social science scholarship and advocacy
Tonight we had a lovely ceremony welcoming newly elected Fellows of @britishacademy.bsky.social. My personal highlight was seeing two of our new Honorary Fellows - the librarian @richove.bsky.social and the composer Judith Weir. Both will have a lot to contribute to our Fellowship
October 13, 2025 at 8:29 PM
Thank you Hetan - humbling to be honoured with such amazing people - all who are making the world better through humanities and social science scholarship and advocacy
Fabulous to see ‘The Camera Helps’ our new show @bodleian.ox.ac.uk that marks the arrival of the archive of the late great photographer Paddy Summerfield into the collection. Superbly curated by Alex Schneideman and Patricia Baker-Cassidy. Presented as part of PhotoOxford 2025!
October 13, 2025 at 12:40 PM
Fabulous to see ‘The Camera Helps’ our new show @bodleian.ox.ac.uk that marks the arrival of the archive of the late great photographer Paddy Summerfield into the collection. Superbly curated by Alex Schneideman and Patricia Baker-Cassidy. Presented as part of PhotoOxford 2025!
Honoured that my ‘Burning the books’ -
the @harvardpress.bsky.social edition - should feature in @thelibrariansfilm.bsky.social - a must- see for anyone concerned about the freedom to read and to think - it highlights the courageous libraries defending democracy in America
the @harvardpress.bsky.social edition - should feature in @thelibrariansfilm.bsky.social - a must- see for anyone concerned about the freedom to read and to think - it highlights the courageous libraries defending democracy in America
October 11, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Honoured that my ‘Burning the books’ -
the @harvardpress.bsky.social edition - should feature in @thelibrariansfilm.bsky.social - a must- see for anyone concerned about the freedom to read and to think - it highlights the courageous libraries defending democracy in America
the @harvardpress.bsky.social edition - should feature in @thelibrariansfilm.bsky.social - a must- see for anyone concerned about the freedom to read and to think - it highlights the courageous libraries defending democracy in America
Currently being reprinted but available again by the end of next week (from @johnmurrays.bsky.social). Also available in paperback from @harvardpress.bsky.social in Notth America)!
If you read one book during #Bannedbooksweek read Burning the Books by Bodley’s Librarian @richove.bsky.social. The strongest wake up call yet that we need to stand up for our intellectual freedoms!
October 11, 2025 at 10:49 AM
Currently being reprinted but available again by the end of next week (from @johnmurrays.bsky.social). Also available in paperback from @harvardpress.bsky.social in Notth America)!
Thank you Marja!
If you read one book during #Bannedbooksweek read Burning the Books by Bodley’s Librarian @richove.bsky.social. The strongest wake up call yet that we need to stand up for our intellectual freedoms!
October 10, 2025 at 1:36 PM
Thank you Marja!
MLGB is back!! Delighted that Medieval Libraries of Great Britain @bodleian.ox.ac.uk is now back online. We are also working had on plans for the next phase of the resource, enhancing & adding data & functionality. HUGE thanks to my colleagues for their hard & clever work mlgb.bodleian.ox.ac.uk
October 7, 2025 at 10:19 AM
MLGB is back!! Delighted that Medieval Libraries of Great Britain @bodleian.ox.ac.uk is now back online. We are also working had on plans for the next phase of the resource, enhancing & adding data & functionality. HUGE thanks to my colleagues for their hard & clever work mlgb.bodleian.ox.ac.uk
Well spotted Jeff!
Ian McEwan's What We Can Know is wonderful. The best part for book-history wonks is the Easter-egg appearance of Bodleian librarian @richove.bsky.social. No spoiler.
www.ianmcewan.com/books/whatwe...
www.ianmcewan.com/books/whatwe...
Ian McEwan Website: What We Can Know
www.ianmcewan.com
October 5, 2025 at 5:36 PM
Well spotted Jeff!
Huge congratulations to the @bodhumslib.bsky.social team for such a successful opening of the New Humanities Library at the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities this week! Wonderful feedback for readers and such happy staff!
October 3, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Huge congratulations to the @bodhumslib.bsky.social team for such a successful opening of the New Humanities Library at the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities this week! Wonderful feedback for readers and such happy staff!