Salford professor Jackie Kay CBE named Honorary Fellow by British Academy

The former University of Salford Chancellor and Scots Makar has been bestowed with the honour in recognition of her contribution to the humanities and social sciences.

The British Academy is the UKs national academy for the humanities and social sciences with a fellowship body over 1600 of the leading minds in these subjects within the UK and overseas. Previous fellows include Dame Frances Yates, Sir Winston Churchill and Seamus Heaney.

Jackie said: “I am happy to be in such esteemed company and looking forward to being part of such a rich and exciting group of thinkers.”

The multiple award-winning poet rejoined the University in early 2023 as a senior professor after a stint as Chancellor from 2014 to 2021. Jackie is an internationally-acclaimed artist who received her CBE for Services to Literature in 2020 and her last poetry collection, Bantam, was published to critical acclaim in 2017.

This year, 86 Fellows were welcomed into the British Academy.

Professor Julia Black, President of the British Academy, said: “It is with great pleasure that we welcome yet another outstanding cohort to the Academy’s Fellowship. The scope of research and expertise on display across our newly elected UK, Corresponding and Honorary Fellows shows the breadth and depth of knowledge and insight held by the British Academy. It is our role to harness this to understand and help shape a better world.”