Essex Serpent author Sarah Perry becomes university chancellor

The University of Essex has appointed Sarah Perry as its new chancellor

The University of Essex has appointed an author with a "deep connection" to the county as its new chancellor.

Sarah Perry wrote The Essex Serpent, Melmoth, After Me Comes the Flood and the non-fictional tome Essex Girls.

Vice-chancellor of the university, Prof Anthony Forster, said she had "weaved the history and culture of the county into her work".

Dr Perry said she was "very proud to be an Essex girl" and it was a "great honour" to be chancellor.

The author was an undergraduate at Anglia Ruskin University and went on to get a PhD in Creative Writing from Royal Holloway, University of London.

She is a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, has been a Unesco City of Literature writer in residence in Prague, and has been a writer in residence at Gladstone's Library in Hawarden, Wales, and at London's Savoy hotel.

Dr Perry will oversee graduation ceremonies and act as an ambassador for the university, the vice-chancellor said

Set in 1893, The Essex Serpent was inspired by the history and landscape of Dr Perry's home county and tells the story of a woman who moves to a small village in Essex, which she thinks might be haunted by a mythological sea serpent.

Winner of Waterstones' Book of the Year 2016 and the British Book Awards Book of the Year 2017, the novel was made into a TV mini-series last year.

Dr Perry said: "The history, landscape and spirit of Essex are all lodged in my heart and at the centre of my work, and so I'm excited to contribute to the university's rich academic heritage and share in its future.

"I'm immensely looking forward to supporting and inspiring students, encouraging them all to unleash their creative potential and fostering an environment where intellectual curiosity thrives."

The university said she had "inspired readers with her thought-provoking narratives and distinctive voice".

Prof Forster said: "As chancellor, Sarah will oversee graduation ceremonies and act as an ambassador and champion for the university's work.

"Her literary achievements and deep connection to Essex will inspire our students, faculty and wider community."

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