Bee Wilson
Encyclopedia
Bee Wilson is a British food writer and historian. Wilson is married to the political scientist David Runciman
and lives in Cambridge
. The daughter of A. N. Wilson
and the Shakespearean scholar Katherine Duncan-Jones, her sister is Emily Wilson
, a Classicist at the University of Pennsylvania
.
in the history of ideas
at St John's College Cambridge, working on the history of political thought. Her PhD (from Trinity College, Cambridge
) was on early French utopian socialism
. She also attended the University of Pennsylvania on a Thouron Award
fellowship.
For five years from 1998 she was the food critic of the New Statesman
magazine, where she wrote about such subjects as Adolf Hitler
's diet, melons, the history of soup
and school meals. Since 2003, she has written a weekly food column ('The Kitchen Thinker') in Stella magazine (The Sunday Telegraph) for which she has three times been named the Guild of Food Writers food journalist of the year, in 2004, 2008 and 2009.
Wilson is a regular book reviewer for The Sunday Times
and The Times Literary Supplement
, for whom she has written articles on the history of bread
, and coffee
In 2008, she wrote a critic at large article for The New Yorker
on the 'end of food'. Wilson has also contributed articles to the London Review of Books
, especially on film
She is the author of two books, The Hive: The Story of the Honeybee and Us (2004) and Swindled: From Poison Sweets to Counterfeit Coffee, the Dark History of the Food Cheats (2008), a BBC Radio 4
Book of the Week.
David Runciman
The Hon. David Walter Runciman is a British political scientist who teaches political theory at Cambridge University and is a fellow of Trinity Hall, Cambridge, where he was educated following Eton College....
and lives in Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
. The daughter of A. N. Wilson
A. N. Wilson
Andrew Norman Wilson is an English writer and newspaper columnist, known for his critical biographies, novels, works of popular history and religious views...
and the Shakespearean scholar Katherine Duncan-Jones, her sister is Emily Wilson
Emily Wilson
Emily R. Wilson is a British classicist who is currently Associate Professor of Classics at the University of Pennsylvania. She is the daughter of A. N. Wilson and Katherine Duncan-Jones and the sister of the food writer Bee Wilson...
, a Classicist at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
.
Career
She was formerly a research fellowResearch fellow
The title of research fellow is used to denote a research position at a university or similar institution, usually for academic staff or faculty members. A research fellow may act either as an independent investigator or under the supervision of a principal investigator...
in the history of ideas
History of ideas
The history of ideas is a field of research in history that deals with the expression, preservation, and change of human ideas over time. The history of ideas is a sister-discipline to, or a particular approach within, intellectual history...
at St John's College Cambridge, working on the history of political thought. Her PhD (from Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
) was on early French utopian socialism
Utopian socialism
Utopian socialism is a term used to define the first currents of modern socialist thought as exemplified by the work of Saint-Simon, Charles Fourier, and Robert Owen which inspired Karl Marx and other early socialists and were looked on favorably...
. She also attended the University of Pennsylvania on a Thouron Award
Thouron Award
The Thouron Award was established in 1960 by Sir John R.H. Thouron, K.B.E., and the late Esther du Pont Thouron.It was created to strengthen the "special relationship" between the United States and the United Kingdom through educational exchange between British universities and the University of...
fellowship.
For five years from 1998 she was the food critic of the New Statesman
New Statesman
New Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
magazine, where she wrote about such subjects as Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
's diet, melons, the history of soup
Soup
Soup is a generally warm food that is made by combining ingredients such as meat and vegetables with stock, juice, water, or another liquid. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ingredients in liquids in a pot until the flavors are extracted, forming a broth.Traditionally,...
and school meals. Since 2003, she has written a weekly food column ('The Kitchen Thinker') in Stella magazine (The Sunday Telegraph) for which she has three times been named the Guild of Food Writers food journalist of the year, in 2004, 2008 and 2009.
Wilson is a regular book reviewer for The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
and The Times Literary Supplement
The Times Literary Supplement
The Times Literary Supplement is a weekly literary review published in London by News International, a subsidiary of News Corporation.-History:...
, for whom she has written articles on the history of bread
Bread
Bread is a staple food prepared by cooking a dough of flour and water and often additional ingredients. Doughs are usually baked, but in some cuisines breads are steamed , fried , or baked on an unoiled frying pan . It may be leavened or unleavened...
, and coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
In 2008, she wrote a critic at large article for The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
on the 'end of food'. Wilson has also contributed articles to the London Review of Books
London Review of Books
The London Review of Books is a fortnightly British magazine of literary and intellectual essays.-History:The LRB was founded in 1979, during the year-long lock-out at The Times, by publisher A...
, especially on film
She is the author of two books, The Hive: The Story of the Honeybee and Us (2004) and Swindled: From Poison Sweets to Counterfeit Coffee, the Dark History of the Food Cheats (2008), a BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
Book of the Week.