Dear all,

When Hermione Lee founded OCLW in 2011, she realised a long-held vision: to create a place where the study and practice of life-writing could flourish in the supportive, intellectual home offered by Wolfson College.

Hermione began writing biography in the 1980s, a time when life-writing was often treated, in her words, as a ‘rather disreputable academic subject’. Since then, the field has expanded dramatically. OCLW has been at the heart of that transformation, becoming an internationally recognised hub for research, conversation, and creative practice in life-writing.

It is a privilege to continue this work as the Centre’s Weinrebe Director. As we celebrate our fifteenth anniversary, I am launching a Director’s Appeal to secure OCLW’s future.

Everything we do at OCLW relies on the generosity of our donors.

Every gift will help secure our future and keep life-writing open to all.

In an extraordinary act of generosity, the Dorset Foundation will match all gifts to OCLW, doubling the value of every donation.

Conversations Across Borders

We are a world-leading centre where the most distinguished life-writers and scholars can collaborate, share ideas, and develop new work in our truly international community.

Life-Writing for All

Our programme of free events brings life-writers, academics, and the general public together, welcoming international audiences in-person and online. We offer workshops and mentoring to support anyone interested in writing, whatever their level of experience. 

Supporting Creativity at Every Level

Life-writing fosters creativity, confidence, and cross-cultural dialogue.

It costs £250,000 each year to sustain our activities.

Every lecture, workshop, scholarship, and visiting fellowship depends on philanthropic support.

This has always been the case. But the challenge is growing.

Worldwide, funding for the humanities is being cut. As a result, more writers, scholars, and readers are turning to OCLW than ever before, seeking a space where life-writing can be approached with rigour, seriousness, and care.

When I took on the Directorship of the Centre, I was determined not simply to sustain it, but to continue building on Hermione and Executive Director Elleke Boehmer’s vision.

Thanks to the support of many generous donors we have grown an endowment of £1.2m, bringing us a third of the way towards our £3m target to secure the Centre’s long-term future. My aim is to close that gap by our twentieth anniversary.

Sponsor, name, or endow an event, series, or programme

Help us bring leading writers and scholars to Oxford while keeping our public programmes free and open to all.

Sponsor a Visiting Researcher or Scholar

Give writers and scholars from around the world the time, resources, and intellectual community to develop new work in life-writing at the Centre.

Become a Patron

Help us secure the future of the Oxford Centre for Life-Writing through a donation or by remembering us in your will.

If you would like to explore how you might support the Centre's work, I would be delighted to hear from you.

Please email me directly via kate.kennedy@wolfson.ox.ac.uk. 

Alternatively, click below you'd like to support our day-to-day activities through a one-off or regular donation.

It has been a privilege to lead OCLW through to its fifteenth year. With your support, I am confident that more important and transformative conversations are still ahead of us.

With warmest thanks,

Kate Kennedy

Supernumerary Research Fellow and Weinrebe Director of the Oxford Centre for Life-Writing