Project news

University Challenge: The Professionals

It says something about the kind of people who are attracted to work on the OED that when Oxford University Press entered a team for the 2004 series of University Challenge: The Professionals (an adaptation of the long-running BBC TV quiz, for members of professions and institutions rather than students), it decided that the strongest team consisted of four people who work on the Dictionary: Katrina Campbell, Peter Gilliver, Jeremy Marshall, and Bill Trumble. After trouncing a team from the House of Lords, the OUP team went on to face stiffer competition in the semi-final; but even the Foreign Office were no match for us — we recorded the highest score of the series, beating them by 250 points to 145. In a closely fought final, we were finally beaten by the team from the British Library.

Speaking impromptu after the final, Jeremy Paxman declared that he was delighted that it should have been fought between ‘two of the greatest intellectual institutions in the country. And unsung institutions at that.’ After praising the BL as ‘certainly one of the best libraries in the world, maybe the best of all’, he went on:

‘And as for the OUP? Well, I used to think there were four works which anyone who wanted to build their own library ought to have: the OED, the DNB, the Oxford History of England and the eleventh edition of Britannica... I have the OED on disc, as well as in printed form, and I use it every day. One of my secret vices is to come across a delightful word I've never heard of (nonage was a recent one), and then to use it in a script or interview with a cabinet minister on Newsnight as if it's in everyday use down at the Dog and Duck. It's remarkable how infrequently anyone says “yer what?”

‘I've always been slightly in awe of the OUP. Their team on University Challenge rather proved my instincts right. It was one of the most formidable we have ever seen on the programme. I think they did the organization proud.’

Gillian Walker

Gillian Walker, OED's Editorial Project Manager, left us at the end of July, after 15 years at OUP. Quiet, unassuming, serene, and thoroughly conscientious, Gill managed the Project Office, dealing with a plethora of tasks which help to make the work of OED editors possible, and their lives more enjoyable. These included the day-to-day management of the OED finances; budget and planning work; overseeing the batching of editorial ranges and the tracking of progress; ensuring that the filing of editorial materials was managed systematically; and organizing OED events — such as in-house University Challenge practice matches, and parties to celebrate important OED anniversaries, or the completion of a letter of the alphabet. All of it was done beautifully, with characteristic attention to detail. We will miss Gill a great deal. Her calm, steady presence, competence, and unshakeably pleasant demeanour made working with her a very happy experience. We thank her for all that she has contributed, and wish her well.