St John's College Alumni eNewsletter - April 2026
Thank you for joining us in the United States!
We were delighted to see so many of you in California and New York over the past couple of months. Read more about the visit here.
Alumni News and Publications
Alumnus wins Grand Prize in the Indie Gold Mystery Fiction Awards
Michael McKinley (1984, English Language and Literature) wins the Grand Prize for Vatican spy novel, The Glamour of Evil (BookGo 2025), written with his wife, Nancy Merritt Bell. The Glamour of Evil reveals how Oxford grad Maddie Lynch becomes a Vatican spy. The Vatican has the world’s best spy agency, and when the Vatican spies need Maddie’s help, she becomes their Jane Bond. The novel won the 2026 inaugural Crime Fiction Indie Gold Grand Prize award as the best mystery/thriller/suspense novel.
Obadiah Grange by Dr Thom Braun
Obadiah Grange (Troubador 2026) is the second novel in Dr Thom Braun's (1973, English Language and Literature) 'Untold Tales of Charles Dickens' series. Twelve months have passed since the events surrounding the mystery of Hungerford Stairs (Troubador 2023). The young Charles Dickens (‘Charley’) has gone back to school – but a new adventure is about to unfold. More details about Thom and the books can be found on his website: thombraun.co.uk.
College News
The College is very sad to announce the death of Dr John Langton, Emeritus Fellow and former Fellow and Tutor in Geography, on 8 April 2026 at the age of 83. Dr Langton joined St John’s as Fellow and Tutor in Geography in 1980. Before coming to Oxford he had lectured at the University of Liverpool (1973–80), University of Cambridge (1968–73), and University of Manchester (1966–68). He completed his undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in geography at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth (1960–66). Details of any memorial event will be updated on our website in due course.
St John’s chemists develop more stable nanocrystal light sources
Two Chemistry undergraduate students from St John’s - Kieran De-Ville and Maxime Atkinson - have contributed towards research on improving the stability of nanocrystals for future displays and optics. This research was led by one of the postdoctoral researchers in Professor Robert Hoye's (Tutorial Fellow in Inorganic Chemistry) group, Dr Jason Ye, and was funded by a research grant from College. You can read more about the research, as well as the publication, here.
St John’s Literary Festival
On the weekend of 23–24 May 2026, St John’s is hosting a family-oriented literary festival in support of the National Year of Reading.
The programme offers a range of free activities for children aged two and upwards– including puppet theatre, live storytelling, and a junior book club – as well as events for adults with broader literary interests. Guest speakers include the College President, Professor Lady Sue Black, Simon Mason, Mona Arshi, and the Revd Fergus Butler-Gallie (2010, History and Modern Languages).
Full details of the programme can be found at the St John’s website. All events are free to attend, but tickets must be reserved in advance via the College website.
As part of the festival, St John’s will be giving away a selection of children’s books. To help us put together an exciting and diverse selection of works, we are inviting all members of College, including alumni, to suggest their favourite children’s book.
This could be a book you remember being read to you as a child, the first book that first captured your imagination as an early reader, a formative book you read as a teenager, or a book that you have enjoyed sharing with your own children. It could appeal to children of any age from 5–14.
Suggestions can be submitted via the following online form which will be live until 15 May. We look forward to seeing your suggestions!
Rawlinson Society Lunch
The Rawlinson Society recognises all those who have generously informed St John’s that they have chosen to remember the College in their Will. Each year, the President kindly hosts a special event to thank members for their valued support and commitment to the College’s future.
This April, we were delighted to welcome back St John’s alumni from across a wide range of matriculation years, together with their guests, for the Rawlinson Society Lunch. Attendees enjoyed hearing from the President, who shared the latest news from St John’s and outlined plans for the years ahead, while expressing heartfelt thanks to all who have chosen to support the College through a legacy gift.
If you are interested in joining the Rawlinson Society, please contact Sophie Parkinson (Development Manager – Philanthropy) or the Alumni Office.
Alumni Events
Thursday 14 May 2026
Tuesday 16 June 2026
Friday 3 July 2026
Friday 10 July 2026
Friday 11 September 2026 - Save the date!
Women's Network Dinner: 10th Anniversary
Saturday 19 September 2026 - Save the date!
Thursday 24 September 2026
College Events
Introducing Luke Fowler, Artist in Residence
Friday 1 May 2026
2 - 4 May 2026
International Piano Series: Mishka Rushdie Momen
Thursday 7 May 2026
The World's Music at Oxford: She'koyokh
Sunday 10 May 2026
Failing Well: Generating New Ideas with Sendhil Mullainathan
Thursday 21 May 2026
23-24 May 2026
Documentary Screening: Free Nelson Mandela
Thursday 28 May 2026
Concert: Arild Andersen, Rob Luft and Daniel Sommer Trio
Saturday 13 June 2026
St John's College Commemoration Ball 2026: 'Wish You Were Here’
Saturday 27 June 2026
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