Keith Ovenden

Keith William Ovenden (6 August 1943 – 23 June 2023) was an English novelist and biographer.

Ovenden was born on 6 August 1943 in London, where he was also raised. He was educated at Wanstead County High School. He went on to study for degrees at the University of Keele, University of Michigan, and the University of Oxford. He started his career lecturing at the University of Essex in the Department of Government, and later taught political sociology at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, before becoming a full-time writer in 1982. He was married to Helen Sutch, daughter of Bill Sutch and Shirley Smith.

Ovenden chaired the board of trustees of the New Zealand Portrait Gallery from October 2012 to December 2018. He was involved with the organisation for 13 years. Since 2019, an annual lecture is given in honour of Ovenden's work for the New Zealand Portrait Gallery, with him giving the inaugural lecture.

Ovenden died on 23 June 2023, at the age of 79.

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Academic works