Theodore Zeldin is President of the Oxford Muse Foundation. After graduating from London University (Birkbeck College) at the age of 17, and then from Christ Church, Oxford (with Firsts from both), he helped to build up St Antony’s College, Oxford as the university’s postgraduate centre for international studies, and was its Dean for thirteen years.

His books have focused on the role of the emotions in every aspect of life. His History of French Passions won Britain’s top historical award, the Wolfson Prize, and was followed by the bestseller The French, dealing with contemporary society.  He was president of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais Planning Commission, adviser to the French Millennium Commission, and presenter of the Prime Minister’s website.

His book on Happiness, his Intimate History of Humanity and his BBC lectures on Conversation marked the expansion of his research to all civilisations. His writings have been translated into 24 languages. He became a member of the BBC Brains Trust and made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

Picked as an international thought leader by Fast Company USA, and as “one of Britain’s leading intellects” by Management Today; he has been active in the executive leadership programmes of Templeton College Oxford, is an Associate Fellow of Oxford University’s Said Business School, a Professor honoris causa of HEC, the Paris Business School, and a Fellow of the World Economic Forum.

He is a Patron of the National Academy of Writing and of the Oxford Food Symposium for the study of international gastronomy (of which he was the co-founder), a Member of the European Academy and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. He has been on the Management Committee of the Society of Authors, a visiting professor at Harvard and the University of Southern Carolina, and has lectured in 15 countries. He is married to Deirdre Wilson, the co-inventor of the Theory of Relevance.