Elizabeth (Lady) Kennet has died at the age of 91.

Born Elizabeth Ann Adams in 1923, Kennet was the author of seven books, a commentator on defence and nuclear arms, and an activist in architectural conservation.

She also founded the Tibor Dery Committee, at Arthur Koestler’s invitation, to campaign for the release of Hungarian writers following the Soviet invasion of Budapest.

Brought up in Geneva, she attended Downe House School before winning an exhibition to study at Somerville (1941, PPE).

An obituary in The Telegraph notes her role in founding the Hawksmoor Committee, which raised publicity – and, through it, financial aid – for Hawksmoor’s churches. The obituary can be read on the Telegraph website.

Elizabeth Adams, 1941

Further reading?

Fragmented: Somerville Students Publish New Translations of Ingeborg Bachmann

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Fragmented: Somerville Students Publish New Translations of Ingeborg Bachmann

Student Stories: Sana Shah and ‘A stillness that consoles’

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24 June 2026
Student Stories: Sana Shah and ‘A stillness that consoles’

Research Highlight: Focal Pricing Constraints and Pass-Through of Input Cost Changes

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24 June 2026
Research Highlight: Focal Pricing Constraints and Pass-Through of Input Cost Changes