The Dictionary People with Sarah Ogilvie (LHF) (IN PERSON)

The Oxford English Dictionary has long been associated with elite institutions and Victorian men; its longest-serving editor, James Murray, devoted 36 years to the project, as far as the letter T. But the Dictionary didn't just belong to the experts; it relied on contributions from members of the public. By the time it was finished in 1928 its 414,825 entries had been crowdsourced from a surprising and diverse group of people, from archaeologists and astronomers to murderers, naturists, novelists, pornographers, queer couples, suffragists, vicars and vegetarians.

Lexicographer Sarah Ogilvie dives deep into previously untapped archives to tell a people's history of the OED. She traces the lives of thousands of contributors who defined the English language, from the eccentric autodidacts to the family groups who made word-collection their passion. With generosity and brio, Ogilvie reveals, for the first time, the full story of the making of one of the most famous books in the world - and celebrates to sparkling effect the extraordinary efforts of the Dictionary People.

Sarah Ogilvie teaches at the University of Oxford, and specializes in language, dictionaries, and technology. As a lexicographer she has been an editor at the Oxford English Dictionary and was Chief Editor of Oxford Dictionaries in Australia. As a technologist she has worked in Silicon Valley at Lab 126, Amazon's innovation lab, where she was part of the team that developed the Kindle. She originally studied computer science and mathematics before taking her doctorate in Linguistics at the University of Oxford, and then taught at Cambridge and Stanford. She writes a regular column 'The Joy of Lex' for Prospect magazine.

'I am bowled over by Sarah Ogilvie's book and have not been able to put it down. It is utterly fascinating, entertaining, astonishing and as clever as a box of monkeys. I love the way it is laid out alphabetically, with the most alluring chapter headings and characters who circle round the hub of the mighty OED. Every home should have a copy, every school should award it as a prize. I completely love it: a massive accomplishment' - Joanna Lumley

'Enthralling and exuberant, Sarah Ogilvie tells the surprising story of the making of the OED. Philologists, fantasists, crackpots, criminals, career spinsters, suffragists, and Australians: here is a wonder-book for word-lovers' - Jeanette Winterson

'Sarah Ogilvie has brought to light in glorious and surprising detail the creation of one of the greatest reference works of all time. She has laboured in the archives to reveal a new history - one that illuminates the astonishing stories of the extraordinary men and women who gave us the OED' - Richard Ovenden, Bodley's Librarian and author of Burning the Books

Copies of the book will be available at reduced prices at the event and the authors will be happy to inscribe them for you - or for someone you wish to give it to.

What better Christmas present for a book lover than a signed copy of a lovely book?

This year we are presenting the London History Festival in a series talks which will take place in the Kensington Library lecture hall.

In Person tickets are £5 and include a glass of wine/juice.

*Concessionary rate of £3 per ticket is offered to pensioners, students and people on benefits.

**Tickets can also be bought in Kensington Central Library starting 15 October.

***All recordings tickets are FREE.

We look forward to welcoming you at the library!

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Kensington Central Library, 12 Phillimore Walk, London, United Kingdom