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
Modern constellation on Port Meadow
November 17, 2025 at 7:17 AM
Modern constellation on Port Meadow
Delighted to have been given the chance to review ‘Don’t burn anyone at the stake today’ the new and thought-provoking book from @naomialderman.bsky.social (published by Penguin/FigTree) in today’s @theobserveruk.bsky.social
November 16, 2025 at 10:58 AM
Delighted to have been given the chance to review ‘Don’t burn anyone at the stake today’ the new and thought-provoking book from @naomialderman.bsky.social (published by Penguin/FigTree) in today’s @theobserveruk.bsky.social
Extremely saddened to learn of the death of Rachel Cooke. She was a brilliant writer & journalist, great fun to be around. I will miss our emails & dms & occasional get togethers. The world is significantly diminished by her passing. Appreciate this from Tim Adams in @theobserveruk.bsky.social
November 14, 2025 at 7:29 PM
Extremely saddened to learn of the death of Rachel Cooke. She was a brilliant writer & journalist, great fun to be around. I will miss our emails & dms & occasional get togethers. The world is significantly diminished by her passing. Appreciate this from Tim Adams in @theobserveruk.bsky.social
The @ashmoleanmuseum.bsky.social looking mighty fine!
November 11, 2025 at 9:20 AM
The @ashmoleanmuseum.bsky.social looking mighty fine!
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!
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!
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).
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! By coincidence we commissioned her to compose a new piece earlier in the year. She is amazing!
October 13, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Thank you! By coincidence we commissioned her to compose a new piece earlier in the year. She is amazing!
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
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
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!
See my piece on Tom's house in the August issue of World of Interiors (with many stunning photos by Annie Schlechter)
September 30, 2025 at 7:03 AM
See my piece on Tom's house in the August issue of World of Interiors (with many stunning photos by Annie Schlechter)
An incredible evening @bodleian.ox.ac.uk: I was deeply honoured to receive the @rsliterature.bsky.social's Benson Medal from Ruth Scurr, then hosted a screening of 'The Librarians', the powerful doc @thelibrariansfilm.bsky.social featuring courageous librarians @librarianjones.com & Julie Miller!
September 27, 2025 at 12:11 PM
An incredible evening @bodleian.ox.ac.uk: I was deeply honoured to receive the @rsliterature.bsky.social's Benson Medal from Ruth Scurr, then hosted a screening of 'The Librarians', the powerful doc @thelibrariansfilm.bsky.social featuring courageous librarians @librarianjones.com & Julie Miller!
So enjoyed being in conversation with the great Ian McEwan in the Sheldonian last night for the launch of his 19th novel ‘What we can know’ in which @bodleian.ox.ac.uk features prominently! It is a brilliant book (from @jonathancape.bsky.social) and available from @blackwelloxford.bsky.social!
September 14, 2025 at 9:43 AM
So enjoyed being in conversation with the great Ian McEwan in the Sheldonian last night for the launch of his 19th novel ‘What we can know’ in which @bodleian.ox.ac.uk features prominently! It is a brilliant book (from @jonathancape.bsky.social) and available from @blackwelloxford.bsky.social!
This from a few days ago in the @ft.com.web.brid.gy - but surely the headline should read ‘von der Leyen saved by paper maps - and a pilot who could still use them’!
September 7, 2025 at 7:11 AM
This from a few days ago in the @ft.com.web.brid.gy - but surely the headline should read ‘von der Leyen saved by paper maps - and a pilot who could still use them’!
Always a joy to be at the @bodleian.ox.ac.uk Collections Storage Facility - around 14 m collection items preserved there for students and scholars
September 5, 2025 at 10:46 AM
Always a joy to be at the @bodleian.ox.ac.uk Collections Storage Facility - around 14 m collection items preserved there for students and scholars
I had the pleasure of being in discussion in Sydney last week with the legendary David Marr on ABC’s Late Night Live concerning libraries, book banning and the fight for knowledge.
September 3, 2025 at 4:20 PM
I had the pleasure of being in discussion in Sydney last week with the legendary David Marr on ABC’s Late Night Live concerning libraries, book banning and the fight for knowledge.
Great piece on AI by @timharford.ft.com in this weekend’s @ft.com.web.brid.gy Magazine - on the dangers of trusting generative AI as a source of referencing information. The Knowledge infrastructure provided by libraries is more trustworthy….
August 24, 2025 at 10:04 AM
Great piece on AI by @timharford.ft.com in this weekend’s @ft.com.web.brid.gy Magazine - on the dangers of trusting generative AI as a source of referencing information. The Knowledge infrastructure provided by libraries is more trustworthy….