Background
Elspeth Kennedy was born in Berkshire.
Elspeth Kennedy was born in Berkshire.
Because the work, though essential, was repetitive, Kennedy studied Russian in her spare time, and initially laid plans to become a Russian historian. Kennedy attended Somerville College, Oxford from 1945 to 1947 on a scholarship.
Her academic career was delayed by World World War II, during which she worked for the government — in 1940, while still 18 years of age she began working for MI5, domiciled initially at Wormwood Scrubs and later at Bletchley Park. However, when she engaged a tutor to prepare her for entrance to Oxford, the tutor"s enthusiasm for French medieval history swayed Kennedy in that direction. She went on to do research, and 1948 embarked on her life"s main theme, the Lancelot en prose.
Kennedy became a lecturer in French at the University of Manchester in 1953.
She became a Fellow of Street Hilda"s College in 1966 and remained there until her retirement in 1986. She was an Emeritus Fellow of Street Hilda"s until her death in 2006.
Kennedy was President of the Society for the Study of Medieval Languages and Literature (1984-1988), President of the International Arthurian Society (1987-1989), and editor of the international journal Medium Aevum ("Middle Ages") from 1990 until 2002. Elspeth Kennedy is best known as the editor and author of works on medieval French literature.