- Date
- 2 May 2026 / 2-5pm
- Venue
- Jacqueline du Pré Music Building
- Attendees
- All welcome
A celebration of the life and scholarship of Celia Sisam (1926-2025), former Emeritus Fellow and Tutor and Fellow in English, will be held on Saturday 2nd May 2026 at 2pm at St Hilda’s College. This will include short talks by former students and colleagues from St Hilda’s, Dr Helen Leith Spencer will speak on Sisam's place within medieval scholarship, and there will be a reading from some of Sisam’s work.
Celia Sisam became a Fellow of St Hilda's College in 1957. According to the Principal’s Report in the 1985–86 Chronicle, she was "a brilliant and effective tutor, and in her own work she combined meticulous scholarship in the language field with a wide and sympathetic knowledge of Old and Middle English Literature." Her contributions to the College were immeasurable, and in the Senior Common Room, she was a kindly and reassuring presence. Both her permanent colleagues and every guest of the SCR, including temporary visitors from overseas, benefited from her friendliness and generosity. In the Governing Body, she consistently ensured that the College upheld its commitment to the highest academic standards and prioritised the interests of its junior members.
A College fund has been established to celebrate Celia Sisam and her work. You can make a gift online via the form below, or by cheque: please make it payable to St Hilda’s College, write ‘Celia Sisam Memorial’ on the back of the cheque and send it to the Development Office, St Hilda’s College, Oxford OX4 1DY. For more information, please contact the Development Office.