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Revealed: Ruth Padel’s email that smeared her Nobel rival
Robert Mendick and Peter Dominiczak26 May 2009
Full details of the email sent by Ruth Padel, who was forced to quit as Oxford Professor of Poetry after smearing her opponent, can be revealed for the first time in the Standard today.
Ms Padel sent the email to Olivia Cole, a journalist working for the Standard's Londoner's Diary, in which she pointed to allegations of sexual harassment made against her opponent Derek Walcott.
The email was sent two weeks before the claims against Mr Walcott finally surfaced in a British newspaper.
In the email, Ms Padel draws attention to claims made against Walcott, the Nobel laureate who had been front-runner for the Oxford post. The claims date back more than 25 years.
Mr Walcott, 79, chose to withdraw from the election leaving Ms Padel as the only serious contender when academics and graduates voted nine days ago.
Walcott announced his decision in the Standard, citing the smears as his reason. Ms Padel, who duly won the election, denied at the time having anything to do with the campaign against Walcott.
The Standard chose to ignore Ms Padel's email of 9 April, concluding it did not wish to have any part in a smear campaign against the St Lucia-born poet. But we have decided to go public with the email today after Ms Padel confessed over the weekend to writing to two newspapers accusing Mr Walcott of sexually harassing students while teaching at an American university.
The 9 April email was sent by Ms Padel from New York where she was on a promotional tour, launching her new book Darwin: A Life in Poems. Ms Padel, 63, is a great-great granddaughter of Charles Darwin.
In the email, which is littered with spelling mistakes, Ms Padel writes first of the pleasantries of her book tour before pointing the journalist towards a website set up by her supporters in the race for the Oxford post. Ms Padel wrote: “Hi Olivia,
On the chair, there is still no other nomination except (so extraordinarily) Derek W and me. But thye close on 29th April so another or others may well turnup…
“There is aupposed to be a book called The Lecherous Professor, which has 6 pages on Derek Walcott's two cases of sexual harassment, which might provide interestigfn copy on what Oxford wants from its professors.. ALl best, Ruth.”
Ms Padel will hold a press conference today at the Hay Festival in which she is expected to say sorry for sending the emails. But she is likely to deny sending a further dossier to Oxford academics in which the sexual harassment claims against Walcott were made in further detail.
In a statement announcing her resignation last night Ms Padel insisted that her actions had been misinterpreted. She said: “I genuinely believe that I did nothing intentional that led to Derek Walcott's withdrawal from the election. I wish to do what is best for the university and I understand that opinion there is divided. I therefore resign from the Chair of Poetry. I hope wounds will now heal and I wish the next professor all the best.”
Oxford University sources said a new election would now be held. It is understood that Ms Padel will not put her name forward again.
Her former supporters including broadcaster Lord Bragg and philosopher AC Grayling had put pressure on the first female Oxford Professor of Poetry to give up her position.
Before Ms Padel's resignation, Mr Grayling said he would be making a formal complaint to the university.
In the run-up to the election, Oxford dons were anonymously sent documents alleging sexual harassment by Walcott during the Eighties.
They detailed a sexual harassment claim made by a student at Harvard University against Mr Walcott and included an allegation made by Nicole Niemi, a Boston University student and member of his creative writing class who sued him for alleged sexual harassment and “offensive sexual physical contact”, demanding $500,000.
The case was reportedly settled out of court.
Reader views (19)
Who's Padel? Why did her name keep intruding when I do a search of Derek Walcott's marvellous poems? Padel, please stop being a public nuisance to the rest of us who just want to enjoy good poetry.
- Hsiaoshuang, Singapore, 26/05/2010 18:09
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I find it odd that there seems no comment from the liberated ladies in the real world. Surely Padel deserves the same defense any published and successful author nearly always is offered. Where are the just comments on this page?
- Kathy Da Silva, Ilford, 03/06/2009 21:05
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Ruth Padel is an excellent poet, an inspiring teacher, and would have been brilliant as Poetry Prof, with her plan to bring poetry to the sciences. This development is tragic. Tragic too are the moronic e-mails I'm reading here.
- Frances Corkey Thompson, Ilfracombe, UK, 28/05/2009 10:55
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So, she admits to being a little bit stupid and amply demostrates being not terribly good at expressing herself. Over-qualified for an Oxbridge Chair if you ask me - try the University of Hull (they at least had a poet laureate).
- Richard, Toronto, Canada, 27/05/2009 15:51
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An appalling story to have watched unfolding. To have sent such an email, then denied any knowledge of a smear campaign....resignation, at least, was a good judgment call. What disappointing behavior. It will be a pleasure not to see her name in print again -- unless she keeps on contacting reporters to proclaim her naivete etc. (p.s. I had not read her poetry, and I never plan to.)
- Annie, New York, NY, 27/05/2009 15:30
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A reminder to us all that we should never send slanderous emails while intoxicated--
look at that spelling!
- Klem, Westhampton, USA, 27/05/2009 15:02
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Does she even possess any real talent? Or has she just sailed on her Darwin heritage?
I'm all for truth coming out, but in an ethical manner. She could have addressed her concerns directly to the election committee, but didn't, probably because they would have been swept aside since the allegations are decades old and were resolved back then. Therefore, it should have no bearing on his eligibility today.
Instead, she chose to secretly alert journalists then lie about it when confronted initially. Then she lies again by saying she was passing on student concerns to the press. Worst of all, she even refuses to apologize properly when caught.
She is a disgrace to professional women everywhere.
- Nonex, North America, 27/05/2009 01:28
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She reminds me of a character from I don't know what is it Harry Potter?
- Funkg, london, 26/05/2009 19:59
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Walcott is much her superior in poetry and only by smearing him was she able to win the election.
- David Marriott, Brighton, 26/05/2009 17:53
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But what about the student fiddler?
- Bj, London, 26/05/2009 16:52
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Ruth who?
Never heard of her before this debacle and hopefully she will now fade into a well deserved obscurity.
- Alan Combe, London E7, 26/05/2009 15:01
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She DOES look sneaky. Or as she might type it, 'snakey'.
- Patty O'Furniture, Boston, USA, 26/05/2009 14:49
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"great-great granddaughter of Charles Darwin". Then she must know that we have evolved from snakes (in the grass) and rats. Unfortunately, in some of us, traces still remain to this day.....
She's also launching a new book: "Darwin: A Life in Poems". Nothing like cashing in on a great name + some great publicity. Has this woman no shame?
- Haskey, London SE1, 26/05/2009 14:31
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Classy. Just goes to show how insecure about her own talent she was if she was willing to stoop so low.
- 888, London, 26/05/2009 14:13
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i can't spell but i like rimes and stuff. Can i be the professur at Oxfurd pleeze?
- Jane, londun, 26/05/2009 14:00
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There's an Oxford "intellectual" for you.
Willing to lower any moral and ethical standards and be patronising about it.
- Minnie Ovens, London, UK, 26/05/2009 13:22
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She sent an e-mail
Now I wonder?
Will she go to jail
If it is slander?
Circle Line Professor of Poetry
- Man U Fan, London, 26/05/2009 12:58
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She looks sneaky
- Hatchet, Newcastle Australia, 26/05/2009 11:20
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good riddance to bad rubbish.
surely she must have realised that denying something, that members of the media *know* that you did was always going to come unstuck?
serves her right.
- Scotty, london, 26/05/2009 11:14
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