Six members of the Magdalen community have been recognised in the New Year Honours list for their exceptional contributions to literature, mathematics, politics, and philanthropy.
Magdalen alumnus and Honorary Fellow Sir Alan Hollinghurst (1972) has been knighted for his services to literature. His acclaimed works include The Line of Beauty, which won the 2004 Booker Prize, as well as other award-winning novels such as The Swimming-Pool Library and The Stranger’s Child.
Professor Dame Alison Etheridge, a Fellow by Special Election at Magdalen College, has been made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) for her services to the mathematical sciences. Professor Dame Etheridge is a Professor of Probability at Oxford and serves as President of the Academy for the Mathematical Sciences. She joined Magdalen as a Tutorial Fellow in mathematics in 1997 and, in 2012, transitioned to her current role whilst maintaining her connection to Magdalen.
Waynflete Fellows Stephen Butt (1969) and Caroline Butt, co-founders of the Calleva Foundation, have been awarded Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for their exceptional services to philanthropy. The Butts have supported a diverse array of community-based projects, with a strong focus on the arts, culture, science, and heritage. Their philanthropic work continues to leave a lasting impact on community and causes worldwide, including Magdalen College and the wider University of Oxford.
Magdalen alumna Claudia Kenyatta (1993) has been awarded a CBE in the New Year Honours list for her services to heritage. Kenyatta read history at Magdalen from 1993 to 1996 and is currently the Director of Regions for Historic England and the Chair of the Bayswater Arts Centre.
Magdalen alumnus Mike Katz (1990) has been appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his services to public and political life. He is the Chair of the Jewish Labour Movement and a Fellow of the RSA, as well as having served as a councillor for Camden Council. He was nominated for a Labour Peerage in 2024.
Huge congratulations to Sir Alan Hollinghurst, Professor Dame Alison Etheridge, Stephen Butt CBE, Caroline Butt CBE, Claudia Kenyatta CBE and Mike Katz MBE for their well-deserved honours.