Professor Simon Gaunt has been made a Fellow of the prestigious British Academy for the humanities and social sciences.

He is among 76 distinguished scholars to be elected to the fellowship in recognition of his work on medieval French and Occitan literature.

He joins the British Academy, a community of over 1400 of the leading minds that make up the UK’s national academy for the humanities and social sciences. Current Fellows include the classicist Dame Mary Beard, the historian Sir Simon Schama and philosopher Baroness Onora O’Neill, while previous Fellows include Sir Winston Churchill, C.S Lewis, Seamus Heaney and Beatrice Webb. 

This year marks the largest ever cohort of new Fellows elected to the British Academy for their distinction in the humanities and social sciences. 76 world-leading academics have been elected from universities across the UK and around the world.

As well as a fellowship, the British Academy is a funding body of research, nationally and internationally, and a forum for debate and engagement.

“I am delighted to welcome this year’s exceptionally talented new Fellows to the Academy. Including historians and economists, neuroscientists and legal theorists, they bring a vast range of expertise, insights and experience to our most distinguished fellowship,” says Professor Sir David Cannadine, President of the British Academy.

“The election of the largest cohort of Fellows in our history means the British Academy is better placed than ever to help tackle the challenges we all face today. Whether it’s social integration or the ageing society, the future of democracy or climate change, Brexit or the rise of artificial intelligence, the insights of the humanities and social sciences are essential as we navigate our way through an uncertain present into what we hope will be an exciting future. I extend to all of our new Fellows my heartiest congratulations and I look forward to working closely with them to build on the Academy’s reputation and achievements.”