Theodore Zeldin

Theodore Zeldin

Theodore Zeldin graduated from London University at the age of seventeen, and then from Christ Church, Oxford. He was the Dean of St Antony’s College, Oxford for thirteen years. His History of French Passions won the Wolfson Prize, and was followed by the best-seller The French, dealing with contemporary society. He has been called “the most popular Englishman in France” (Le Point) and is frequently invited to speak on French radio and television, and to French businesses and public authorities. His book on Happiness, his Intimate History of Humanity and his BBC lectures on Conversation marked the expansion of his research to all civilisations. His writings have been translated into 24 languages. Zeldin is President of the Oxford Muse Foundation, established in 2001 to develop his ideas, and to promote innovative ways of improving personal, professional and intercultural relations. He is a Patron of the National Academy of Writing, a Member of the European Academy and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. He is married to Deirdre Wilson, the co-inventor of the Theory of Relevance.