Dr Emily Kearns’ undergraduate career began in 1973 and her early talent was recognised with the rare accolade of a Congratulatory First in 1977. She remained at St Hilda’s for her doctoral studies, and was awarded the K. M. T. Atkinson Junior Research Fellowship, which she held from 1981 to 1984. Generations of St Hilda’s undergraduates have benefited from her testing yet humane approach to teaching, from her first appointment to a Stipendiary Lectureship in 1979 until her well-deserved retirement from this side of her working life in 2022. She has always been one of the students’ staunchest advocates, and those lucky enough to have been her personal pupils over the years will fondly remember her unstinting support and kindness; some, perhaps, will also recall her firmness with the gratitude of hindsight.

Alongside her tireless and invaluable contribution to the smooth running of Classical subjects at St Hilda’s, Emily has pursued a research career of ground-breaking and internationally acclaimed importance, which is recognised in her ongoing Senior Research Fellowship at the College. She has published widely within her field of Greek Religion and Literature: alongside numerous articles and reviews, she has published monographs such as The Heroes of Attica (1989); handbooks such as Ancient Greek Religion: A Sourcebook (2010) and, with Simon Price, The Oxford Dictionary of Classical Myth and Religion (2003); and her soon to be released commentary on Euripides, Iphigenia in Tauris (2023) will make a welcome addition to the Cambridge ‘Green and Yellow’ series. Emily’s research continues – doubtless with new vigour – now that she has retired from teaching, and the publication of her current work on blood in antiquity is eagerly anticipated!

We hope to welcome many of Emily’s former pupils and colleagues to this celebration of a truly extraordinary 50 years in Classics at St Hilda’s.

Please RSVP using the booking link by 24 April. A buffet including vegetarian and vegan options will be provided; please let us know of any other dietary requirements. For more information, please contact Professor Katherine Clarke.