Enrolment for this course has now closed. Explore available summer courses at: www.conted.ox.ac.uk/about/inspiring-oxford.
From Wimsey to Morse and beyond, more fictional murders are committed in Oxford than in any other city in the country except London. Beginning with Dorothy L. Sayers’s Gaudy Night, this course will examine the enduring fascination of Oxford as a setting for murder mysteries.
This course is part of The Oxford Experience summer school.
Seminars meet each weekday morning, with afternoons free for course-related field trips, individual study, or exploring the many places of interest in and around the city.
Monday
Today we shall consider the popularity of Oxford as a setting for murder mysteries. Is it simply that the enclosed world of an Oxford college is akin to the traditional country house milieu? Or are there other reasons?
Tuesday
Born and educated in Oxford, Dorothy L. Sayers set Gaudy Night in her own college. A story of attempted murder, it is also a meditation on the place of women in both academia and the wider world.
Wednesday
Oxford Blood by Antonia Fraser sees the return of her detective and television personality, Jemima Shore, to Oxford to research the confession of a dying woman about the exchange of two new born babies. Murder soon follows her arrival.
Thursday
Today we shall discuss Colin Dexter’s Chief Inspector Morse, perhaps the most famous Oxford detective of all. Prickly, conceited, and brilliant, Morse investigates a murder in the city in Death is Now My Neighbour.
Friday
Bringing the course to the present day, Aspire to Die by M.S. Morris introduces D.I. Brigid Hart, a troubled police officer who investigates the brutal murder of a girl at Oxford’s most prestigious college.
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| Fee option 1 (single en suite accom and meals per person) | £2175.00 |
| Fee option 2 (single standard accom and meals per person) | £2050.00 |
| Fee option 3 (double en suite accom and meals per person) | £2000.00 |
| Fee option 4 (twin en suite accom and meals per person) | £2000.00 |
| Fee option 5 (twin set standard accom and meals per person) | £2000.00 |
| Fee option 6 (no accom; incl lunch and dinner per person) | £1500.00 |
Please note there are no sources of funding (scholarships, bursaries, etc) available for applicants.
All fees are charged on a per week, per person basis.
Please be aware that all payments made via non-UK credit/debit cards and bank accounts are subject to the exchange rate on the day they are processed.
1. Cancellation by you
Participants who wish to cancel must inform the Programme Administrator in writing: by email to oxfordexperience@conted.ox.ac.uk, or by post to The Oxford Experience, OUDCE, 1 Wellington Square, OXFORD, OX1 2JA, UK.
The following cancellation and refund policy applies in all cases:
Cancellation within 14 days of online enrolment / payment of fees – full refund of all fees paid.
Where course fees have been paid in currencies other than pounds sterling, refunds will be subject to the exchange rate on the day they are processed.
2. Cancellation by us
Where there is good reason, OUDCE reserves the right to cancel a course by giving you notice in writing at any time before the course is due to start. In these cases, we will endeavour to offer a transfer to another available course if practical and acceptable to you, subject to payment or refund of any difference in course fees. Alternatively, we will refund the course fees that you have already paid. If we cancel a course, our liability is limited to the fees that we have received from you; this means that we will not compensate you for any pre-booked travel costs or any other expenses incurred. The status of this course will be reviewed on 1 May 2024. If it is likely that the course may be cancelled, anyone affected will be notified by email within 7 days; if you have not heard from OUDCE by 8 May 2024, you should assume that your course will be running. You may wish to delay finalising your travel arrangements until after this date.
OUDCE reserves the right to cancel a course at short notice in exceptional circumstances that would prevent the course from being delivered e.g. tutor illness. In these rare instances, and if we are unable to find a replacement tutor, we will notify you as soon as possible and arrange a transfer to another available Oxford Experience course. If we cancel a course, our liability is limited to the fees that we have received from you; this means that we will not compensate you for any pre-booked travel costs or any other expenses incurred.
Where course fees have been paid in currencies other than pounds sterling, refunds will be subject to the exchange rate on the day they are processed.
3. Travel insurance
All participants must purchase travel insurance to cover the programme fee, travel costs, and any other expenses incurred. OUDCE cannot be held responsible for any costs you may incur in relation to travel or accommodation bookings as a result of a course cancellation, or if you are unable to attend the course for any other reason.
Dr Penny Billyeald has taught courses on Shakespeare and literature of the First World War for the Oxford University Department for Continuing Education, as well as Thomas Hardy and Golden Age crime fiction for the Oxford Experience.
Participants will be taught in seminar groups of up to 12 people. The teaching methods used during this course may include:
There are no assessments for this course.
Registration closes on 1 May 2024. Most courses fill up fast so early registration is recommended.
Single accommodation and non-residential places may be booked online by clicking on the “Book now” button in the “Course details” box at the top right-hand side of the course page.
Those requiring twin or double accommodation should complete an enrolment form as these rooms cannot be booked online. Completed forms should be sent:
by email to oxfordexperience@conted.ox.ac.uk, or
by post to The Oxford Experience, OUDCE, 1 Wellington Square, OXFORD, OX1 2JA, UK.
The Oxford Experience is aimed at non-specialists: no prior knowledge is required, and classes are pitched at an introductory level. The courses are designed for an international audience aged 18 and over.
Sayers, Dorothy L. (1935). Gaudy Night. Hodder Paperback.
Fraser, Antonia (1985). Oxford Blood. Mandarin.
Dexter, Colin (1996). Death is Now My Neighbour. Pan Books.
Morris, M.S (2019). Aspire to Die. Landmark Media.
Having read any other novel featuring Morse would be useful.
During your course you will stay in typical Oxford student accommodation at Christ Church, in buildings which range from the 18th to the 20th century. Please note that bedrooms are modestly-furnished and do not have air-conditioning.
The course fee includes breakfasts Monday-Saturday, lunches Sunday-Friday, and 3-course dinners Sunday-Thursday. On Friday, there will be a special 4-course Gala Dinner to celebrate the closing of the week. All meals are taken in Christ Church’s spectacular dining hall.
En suite rooms include private bathroom facilities (shower, washbasin and toilet). Standard rooms include a washbasin and shaver point only, with bathroom facilities shared with other rooms.
Shared rooms can only be booked by two people attending the programme together, and are charged on a per person basis.
En suite rooms include private bathroom facilities (shower, washbasin and toilet). 'Twin set’ standard rooms comprise two separate single standard rooms, each with a washbasin and shaver point only, opening onto a private sitting room, with bathroom facilities shared with other rooms.
Those requiring twin or double accommodation must complete an enrolment form (see ‘Application’), as these rooms cannot be booked online.
Christ Church rooms do not have lift access, and the higher rooms can be located up a few flights of stairs. If you need a room on a ground or lower floor please indicate this on your enrolment form, or contact the programme administrator directly at oxfordexperience@conted.ox.ac.uk as soon as possible before 1 June.
We regret that we are unable to arrange accommodation at Christ Church prior to or following your course. Additionally, family or friends who are not enrolled in the programme cannot be accommodated in college. Please contact Christ Church directly if you require additional nights of bed and breakfast accommodation.
The Oxford Experience welcomes participants who want to attend multiple courses over the summer. Resident participants staying in Christ Church for consecutive weeks are offered bed and breakfast accommodation for the Saturday night between their courses. The extended stay rates are charged on a per person basis, depending on your enrolment accommodation. An invoice will be emailed alongside your confirmation of enrolment.
