Professor Sir David Cannadine will be stepping down as General Editor of the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (ODNB) on 31 July 2026, after twelve years in the role. He will be succeeded by Professor William Whyte who will take up the post from 1 August 2026.
During his time as editor, as well as writing the entries on Margaret Thatcher, Prince Philip, and Queen Elizabeth II, David has overseen the continued updating and expansion of the Dictionary, with the inclusion of some 4,000 new entries and 1,000 new images, corrections or amendments to around 12,000 entries, and the move from thrice-yearly to monthly publication. He has also led the Dictionary in collaborations with other research projects and national institutions, and introduced an academic advisory board alongside the Dictionary’s extensive network of associate editors and advisers. David said:
“It has been an extraordinary privilege and pleasure to have served for more than a decade as the General Editor of the ODNB. The support provided by David Clark and Jo Payne of Oxford University Press has been indispensable, unwavering, and outstanding; the three research editors, Alex May, Mark Curthoys, and Sarah Moorhouse have been exceptionally able, wise, loyal, and knowledgeable colleagues; and as ever, the Dictionary depends on the many entries written by so many contributors, to whom I also extend my heartfelt thanks and gratitude.
“My successor, William Whyte, is a most distinguished historian, a fellow collegian and a major figure in the broader life of Oxford University and the wider cultural world beyond. He will, I am sure, be a brilliant General Editor of the Dictionary, leading it to new heights of achievement, accomplishment, and acclaim. I wish him every success, and I can't wait for him to get started!”
William Whyte, Professor of Social and Architectural History at the University of Oxford and Chair of English Heritage’s Blue Plaques Panel, brings to the role a long and intimate knowledge of the Dictionary as an author, adviser, member of the academic advisory board, and frequent user of the Dictionary; a wide-ranging interest and expertise in modern British history and heritage matters; and a proven ability to manage large and complex projects. He said:
“It is the honour of my life to be asked to serve as General Editor of the ODNB. A fundamental resource for both scholars and the wider public, it has shaped my own research in all manner of ways. I look forward to working with OUP, with a brilliant team of research editors, with the advisory board, and with thousands of contributors as we think about how the Dictionary should evolve in the future without losing any of the authority it has gained in the past.
“To succeed Sir David Cannadine is, of course, a daunting prospect. His twelve years at the helm have been a glittering success, and his biographies—including the lives of Queen Elizabeth II and Margaret Thatcher—are unsurpassable. But I know that we can count on his support as I seek to emulate his example.”
David Clark, Managing Director of OUP’s Academic division, said:
“I am deeply grateful for David’s exceptional stewardship of the ODNB over the past twelve years, ensuring that this research tool remains authoritative, reliable, and enduring. I look forward to working with William whose expertise and experience will guide the Dictionary for new generations of readers and researchers.”
About the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, a research project of the University of Oxford published by Oxford University Press, is a large collection of short biographies of notable people connected to the United Kingdom and the British Isles from earliest times to the recent past. It has its origins in the Dictionary of National Biography, published from 1885 onwards, with a complete revision of the dictionary between 1992 and 2004. It is now updated monthly, and the online version is available through most university libraries in the UK and many abroad, and also via most UK public libraries. Currently it includes more than 65,000 articles, in which are told the life stories of around 63,000 people. Some 12,500 articles include a portrait image of the subject, researched in collaboration with the National Portrait Gallery.
