Other poets with connections to Oxford
clockwise from top left: Tagore: Bengali poet and Nobel Prize-winner Tagore lectured in Oxford in 1917, 1920 and 1930, Philip Larkin (St John's), A.C. Swinburne (Balliol) and T.S. Eliot (Merton)
See more poets connected to Oxford
Frequently asked questions
- When was the election held?
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An election by Convocation was held in Trinity Term 2010 in order to elect a Professor of Poetry, to hold office for five years from the first day of Michaelmas Term 2010.
- What are the duties of the Professor of Poetry?
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The duties of the Professor are to give one public lecture each term; to give the Creweian Oration at Encaenia every other year (since 1972 in English); each year to be one of the judges for the Newdigate Prize, the Lord Alfred Douglas Prize and the Chancellor's English Essay Prize; every third year to help judge the prize for the English poem on a sacred subject, and generally to encourage the art of poetry in the University.
- What is the term of office?
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The post is for the period 1 October 2010 until 30 September 2015.
- Is there any salary attached to the role?
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The Professor receives a stipend of £7,000 per annum which is increased in line with the annual cost-of-living increases for academic and related staff, plus £40 for each Creweian Oration.
- Who is eligible to nominate or vote in this election?
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All members of Convocation are entitled to nominate a candidate in this election and to vote. Members wishing to vote must first register their intention to vote.
- What is Convocation?
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Convocation consists of all the former student members of the University who have been admitted to a degree (other than an honorary degree) of the University, and of any other persons who are members of Congregation or who have retired having been members of Congregation on the date of their retirement.
- When did nominations open?
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The nomination period opened on February 18 and closed on Wednesday 5 May at 4pm BST.
- How do you get nominated?
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Candidates, who must give written consent, have to be nominated by at least 12 members of Convocation (see definition above).
Nominations must be accompanied by a statement signed by the person nominated, consenting to the nomination, and including either his/her contact details or the name and contact details of the person he/she has authorised to act as his/her representative to the University throughout the election (the "authorised representative"). Faxed candidate forms or electronic signatures will not be accepted. Copies of the form for candidates may be downloaded from the University website or obtained from the Elections Office (email).
- How can I register to vote?
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In the event of a contested election, members of Convocation must register their intention to vote. To register to vote, please go to the registration site (now closed). Once you have submitted your request to register and confirmed this via an emailed link to your email account, your details will be checked to ensure you are a member of Convocation. Please allow five working days for verification processing. You will be notified by e-mail if your request has been unsuccessful.
The registration period will open on Monday, 12 April 2010 and close at noon on Friday, 4 June (BST). If you are unable to register on-line, please call +44 (0)1865 (2)70236.
- When was the result announced?
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A meeting of Convocation was held on Friday, 18 June 2010, to announce the results.
- Why have you changed the way people can vote?
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Members of Convocation (see definition above) can vote for the Professor of Poetry. Under the previous system, those wanting to vote had to do so in person on election day, and as a result, voting numbers have in the past been low (around 500). The new proposals make the election more accessible to the full electorate (approximately 300,000 potential voters) by allowing them to vote online and in person and over a longer period of time, and we anticipate that this will encourage more of the electorate to participate. All members of Convocation must register to vote during the registration period from Monday 12 April until noon on Friday, 4 June (BST).
- What happens if no one is nominated?
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If at the close of the nomination period no candidate has been nominated, or having been nominated has withdrawn, Council (the University's executive body) has the power to nominate a candidate, who will then be declared to be elected and the result of the election will be published in the University Gazette.
- What happens if a candidate withdraws during the process and voters have already voted for him/her?
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This is a first past the post election and votes are not transferrable.
- What happens if the winning candidate chooses not to accept the position?
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If the candidate has agreed to be put forward as a nominee, it is unlikely that they would turn down the position. When this happened in the previous election it was under very specific circumstances. However, in the unlikely event this happened, matters would be referred to Council for further consideration.
- Where can I go for further information?
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Details of the election process can be found on the Professor of Poetry election website. Any further enquiries should be addressed to the Elections Officer, Ms SL Stacey, Council Secretariat, University Offices, Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2JD (e-mail: poetry.election@admin.ox.ac.uk; tel. +44 (0)1865 (2)70236). Press enquiries should be directed to Julia Paolitto, University of Oxford Press Office, University Offices, Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2JD (tel. 01865 280531); e-mail: julia.paolitto@admin.ox.ac.uk.