Duffy honoured at University

Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy has been appointed an honorary fellow at Cambridge University, it emerged today.

Homerton has announced that Duffy, 53, would hold the fellowship from January 1 2010.

The Poet Laureate, who succeeded Andrew Motion earlier this year, was born in Glasgow and studied philosophy at Liverpool University.

The wordsmith-extraordinaire worked as poetry critic for The Guardian from 1988-1989 and edited poetry magazine Ambit.

Duffy is now Creative Director of the Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University, where she lectured in poetry from 1996.

A Homerton college spokeswoman said college authorities were ''delighted'' with the new appointment which was voted on by the college council and other college fellows.

She said: ''We invited Carol Ann Duffy to become an honorary fellow because she does a lot of work with young people and students which we admire.

''The College is delighted to announce the appointment and Carol Ann Duffy is thrilled with the idea of being linked to Homerton too.''

Formerly a teaching college, Homerton was founded in 1976 as an Approved Society of the University of Cambridge governed by trustees.

In February 2009 the University Council approved Homerton's application to move to full College status, subject to the grant of a Royal Charter which is expected before the end of the year.

This will enable the 1000 student college, which only admitted Education students until 2001, to become self-governing and take its full place in the University.