The Hounding of a Nobel Poet Has Shamed Oxford ; A Former Professor of Poetry Deplores the Campaign That Scuppered Derek Walcott's Bid for the Post [Edition 2]

Fenton, James, The Evening Standard (London, England)

TOMORROW, the election for Oxford Professor of Poetry will proceed without its most illustrious candidate.

Derek Walcott, Nobel prizewinner and recent recipient of an honorary degree from Oxford, withdrew after it became clear that there was a campaign to revive against him old allegations of sexual harassment.

Frankly, I don't blame him, even though the withdrawal has left his campaigners mortified and his chief rival for the post, Ruth Padel, in what looks like an unbeatable position.

I've run twice in the past in this election -- I lost once, won once and held the post for the statutory five years -- so I know something about the job. It is not for the …

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Publication information: Article title: The Hounding of a Nobel Poet Has Shamed Oxford ; A Former Professor of Poetry Deplores the Campaign That Scuppered Derek Walcott's Bid for the Post [Edition 2]. Contributors: Fenton, James - Author. Newspaper title: The Evening Standard (London, England). Publication date: May 15, 2009. Page number: 14. © Not available. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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