Five Oxford Humanities academics elected as British Academy Fellows
Five academics from Oxford's humanities faculties (including our head of division) have been made Fellows of the British Academy in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the humanities and social sciences.
Founded in 1902, the British Academy is the UK’s national academy for the humanities and social sciences. It is a Fellowship consisting of over 1,800 world-leading scholars from the UK and overseas. In 2025, a total of 58 UK Fellows, 30 International Fellows and four Honorary Fellows have been elected to the British Academy Fellowship.
Our newly elected Fellows are:
- Professor Peter Thonemann, Professor of Ancient History; Forrest-Derow Fellow and Tutor in Ancient History, Wadham College
- Professor Margaret Hillenbrand, Professor of Modern Chinese Literature and Visual Culture
- Professor Rosalind Margaret Ballaster, Professor of Eighteenth-Century Studies and Professorial Fellow in English, Mansfield College
- Professor Daniel Grimley, Head of Humanities and Professor of Music; Professorial Fellow, Merton College
- Professor Alison Grace Salvesen, Professor of Early Judaism and Christianity, Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies
Professor Peter Thonemann said: ‘I am deeply touched, and honoured, to have been elected as a Fellow of the British Academy. The Academy plays a crucial role as a beacon and advocate for scholarship in the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences in the UK; at a time when so many of our Humanities departments are under threat of cuts or closure, the support which the Academy provides to researchers in the Humanities, particularly junior and precariously situated scholars, is more important than ever. I hugely look forward to contributing to the Academy’s mission.’
Professor Rosalind Ballaster said: 'From my first day as an undergraduate I have wanted nothing more than to live in and for literature. It has been my privilege to share the joy of that experience with other scholars and with students - and to learn so much from them. Now more than ever it feels important to foster the hard thinking and the critical curiosity the best research and teaching in the Humanities requires. Election to the British Academy as a Fellow is a huge honour as well as a new opportunity for me to advocate for the value of our work.'
Professor Margaret Hillenbrand said: ‘I’m very happy that the British Academy has recognised the study of literary and visual culture from contemporary China in this way. There’s still a huge knowledge deficit about China in the UK, particularly beyond the domains of economics and geopolitics, and the British Academy is an institution that really has the power to change that, through its funding, its public engagement, and the connections it builds between researchers. I’m also very grateful to Wadham and to the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies for creating such supportive environments for research.'
Professor Daniel Grimley said: ‘It is humbling to have been elected to a fellowship of the British Academy alongside such distinguished colleagues. The arts and humanities are under unprecedented strain, and we need to speak with a collective voice more urgently than ever before. I will support the Academy’s efforts to advocate for all our disciplines and to continue to make the case for the centrality of the arts and humanities across the sector and beyond.’
Professor Alison Salveson said: 'The Academy’s role in supporting and promoting the Humanities and Social Sciences is especially important in the present time. I am deeply honoured to have been elected a Fellow.'
Professor Susan J. Smith PBA, President of the British Academy, said: ‘One of my first acts as the incoming President of the British Academy is to welcome this year’s newly elected Fellows. What a line-up! With specialisms ranging from the neuroscience of memory to the power of music and the structural causes of poverty, they represent the very best of the humanities and social sciences. They bring years of experience, evidence-based arguments and innovative thinking to the profound challenges of our age: managing the economy, enabling democracy, and securing the quality of human life.
‘This year, we have increased the number of new Fellows by nearly ten percent to cover some spaces between disciplines. Champions of research excellence, every new Fellow enlarges our capacity to interpret the past, understand the present, and shape resilient, sustainable futures. It is a privilege to extend my warmest congratulations to them all.’
