British Academy elects Trinity Hall academic to Fellowship

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Posted:

18 Jul 2024

Professor James Montgomery, Trinity Hall Fellow in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, has been made a Fellow of the prestigious British Academy for the humanities and social sciences.

He is among 86 distinguished scholars, six of whom are from the University of Cambridge, to be elected to the fellowship in recognition of their work in fields ranging from medieval history to international relations.

Professor Montgomery is Sir Thomas Adams’s Professor of Arabic. His long-term project is to explore the third/ninth century through the writings of ʿAmr ibn Baḥr al-Jāḥiẓ (d. 255/868-9). This is complemented by a project to edit and translate the early 10th-century historiographical masterpiece by al-Ashʿarī, The Doctrines of the Islamicists. His other major interest revolves around literary translation and the translation of classical Arabic poetry in particular.

Speaking about his election, Professor Montgomery said: “I’m honoured, and, frankly, humbled, to have my scholarship recognised by election to the British Academy. I consider this also as a recognition of Trinity Hall, the college that has supported my subject (Arabic) for my 27 years of fellowship and enables me to pursue my research and teaching.”

Founded in 1902, the British Academy is the UK’s national academy for the humanities and social sciences. It is a Fellowship consisting of over 1,700 of the leading minds in these subjects from the UK and overseas.

Mary Hockaday, Master of Trinity Hall, said: “I am delighted to congratulate Professor Montgomery for being elected as a fellow of the British Academy. Election is a mark of great distinction. Recognition for the humanities and social sciences is as vital as that for STEM subjects and Trinity Hall is very proud to see one of our Fellows recognised in this way, for his eminent contribution to the study of Arabic language and literature.”

The Cambridge academics made Fellows of the Academy this year are:

Professor Elisabeth van Houts (History Faculty; Emmanuel College)
Professor Tim Harper (History Faculty; Magdalene College)
Professor Rosalind Claire Love (Department of ASNC; Robinson College)
Professor James Edward Montgomery (FAMES; Trinity Hall)
Professor Ayse Zarakol (POLIS; Emmanuel College)
Professor Tim Dalgleish (MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit)

Current Fellows include the classicist Professor Dame Mary Beard, the historian Professor Sir Simon Schama and philosopher Professor Baroness Onora O’Neill, while previous Fellows include Dame Frances Yates, Sir Winston Churchill, Seamus Heaney and Beatrice Webb. The Academy is also a funder of both national and international research, as well as a forum for debate and public engagement.

In 2024, a total of 52 UK Fellows, 30 International Fellows and 4 Honorary Fellows have been elected to the British Academy Fellowship.

Welcoming the Fellows, President of the British Academy Professor Julia Black said:

“We are delighted to welcome this year’s cohort of Fellows, and I offer my warmest congratulations to each and every one. From the Academy’s earliest days, our Fellows are the lifeblood of the organisation, representing the very best of our disciplines – and we could not do all that we do without their expertise, time and energy.

“I very much look forward to working closely with our new Fellows – the breadth and depth of their expertise adds so much to the Academy.”

As well as a fellowship, the British Academy is a funding body for research, nationally and internationally, and a forum for debate and engagement.

See the full list of the British Academy's 2024 Fellows