NF_website

Reading lists

10 Vintage Non-Fiction Recommendations

Black-and-white illustrations of four Victorian figures. From left to right: a woman holding a large telescope; a young woman with an umbrella and a large stack of books; a bearded man wearing a coat with many pockets; an elderly man wearing a mortarboard hat

Dictionary People website article copy

Features

Meet the Dictionary People

Sarah Ogilvie

Marvellous… An unmissable, wonderful achievement

Proof that not only do our words have extraordinary lives, but so do the people who have documented them for us. A lively, entertaining, and illuminating read. I loved it

Utterly fascinating, entertaining, astonishing and as clever as a box of monkeys... I am bowled over by Sarah Ogilvie's book and every home should have a copy. I completely love it

Who knew such mysteries lay behind the Oxford English Dictionary? This is a fascinating, unique and original book which uncovers the people behind the words. A jaw-dropping cross-section of society are revealed for the first time in all their complexity

Exquisitely written ... A lively, funny book full of eccentrics

The Dictionary People is a fascinating read for anyone with an interest in dictionaries, social history or just people. Sarah Ogilvie has found a great subject and done it justice

Enthralling and exuberant, Sarah Ogilvie tells the surprising story of the making of the OED. Philologists, fantasists, crackpots, criminals, career spinsters, suffragists, and Australians: here is a wonder-book for word-lovers

I love words and I cherish my OED ... having the background of it explained was fascinating

The OED is an epic, crowdsourced attempt to pin down slippery, evolving language; this book tells the fascinating story of its eclectic and unsung contributors

Not just a comprehensive description of the dictionary, but also a companion to the Victorian intellectual landscape

'An erudite and vivid exploration of the origins of the OED in the first crowdsourcing of contributions from thousands of individuals - including murderers, lunatics and cannibals. Marvellous, witty and wholly original'

Full of determination and eccentricity ... Ogilvie's enthusiasm ... is infectious, and this book is a delight to read

'Sarah Ogilvie has brought to light in glorious and surprising detail the creation of one of the greatest reference works of all time. She has laboured in the archives to reveal a new history - one that illuminates the astonishing stories of the extraordinary men and women who gave us the OED'

Richard Ovenden, Bodley's Librarian and author of Burning the Books

'Ogilvie introduces us to a remarkable cast of overlooked and unexpected lives, woven together by a common devotion to a project far ahead of its time. Lovers of history and language will delight in the discoveries Ogilvie shares with us-an alphabetical page turner!'

Casper Grathwohl, President, Oxford Languages, OUP

This history, sourced from the author's discovery of the address books of the Dictionary's famous editor, James Murray, is as fascinating as the array of wonderful words [the Dictionary People] filled their dictionary with

Introduces readers to a fascinating cross-section of Victorian society ... The whimsical narrative is also educational, providing extensive insight into the process used to trace the origins of words. Readers will be enthralled

'A panoramic account . . . It's fascinating watching Ogilvie track the contributors down'

A sprightly, elegant tribute to the ordinary readers who made up the bulk of the O. E. D.'s work force . . . Engrossing, lively and entertaining

If you are fascinated by words, there is no better book

A captivating exploration of some of the extraordinary individuals who helped to produce the monument that is the OED

Vivid, elegant and passionate about language, this is a compelling journey into the unexpectedly colourful world of dictionary-making

The unsung heroes who created the Oxford English Dictionary

**LONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN’S PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 2024** 
 
‘Unmissable’ Stephen Fry 
'A delight' Katherine Rundell 
‘Illuminating’ Susie Dent 
'Brilliant' Philippa Perry 
'Enthralling' Jeanette Winterson 
 
What do three murderers, Karl Marx's daughter and a vegetarian vicar have in common? 
They all helped create the Oxford English Dictionary. 
 
The Oxford English Dictionary has long been associated with elite institutions and Victorian men. But the Dictionary didn't just belong to the experts; it relied on contributions from members of the public. By 1928, its 414,825 entries had been crowdsourced from a surprising and diverse group of people, from astronomers to murderers, naturists, pornographers, suffragists and queer couples. 
 
Lexicographer Sarah Ogilvie dives deep into previously untapped archives to tell a people's history of the OED. Here, she reveals, for the first time, the full story of the making of one of the most famous books in the world - and celebrates the extraordinary efforts of the Dictionary People. 
 
'An astonishing book' Sunday Times 
 
'Utterly fascinating, entertaining, astonishing and as clever as a box of monkeys ... I completely love it' Joanna Lumley 
 
‘A fascinating and delightful exploration of the Victorian world … Wonderful’ Nicola Shulman, TLS Podcast 
 
** A Financial Times, TLS and Daunt Books Book of the Year **

Sarah Ogilvie

Praise for The Dictionary People

Marvellous… An unmissable, wonderful achievement

Proof that not only do our words have extraordinary lives, but so do the people who have documented them for us. A lively, entertaining, and illuminating read. I loved it

Brilliant

Marvellous… An unmissable, wonderful achievement

Proof that not only do our words have extraordinary lives, but so do the people who have documented them for us. A lively, entertaining, and illuminating read. I loved it

Brilliant

Marvellous… An unmissable, wonderful achievement

Proof that not only do our words have extraordinary lives, but so do the people who have documented them for us. A lively, entertaining, and illuminating read. I loved it

Brilliant

Articles featuring Sarah Ogilvie

10 Vintage Non-Fiction Recommendations

Meet the Dictionary People

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter