History - Rowland Manthorpe

Rowland Manthorpe graduated from St John’s in 2005 with a first in History. He comes from London, where he attended St Paul’s School, taking A-Levels in Biology, History and English.

'Given the inevitable randomness of these things, I feel incredibly lucky that I ended up at St. John’s. It really is a community in the true sense of the word – at times insular and conservative, perhaps, but with a sense of knowing-what-it-is that is genuinely priceless. When I scrape together enough money to make charitable giving less an act of self-harm, I shall gladly share some with the college.

The history department at St. John’s – in particular Miss Tomaselli, whose advice and support I still rely on – encouraged me to develop and pursue my own intellectual interests. What I learnt during this time has stayed with me, and continues to be the strongest influence on what I do today.

After leaving John's I took a Masters in Political Theory at the LSE. In 2006 I was awarded the Ben Pimlott Prize for Political Writing for an essay on history and British identity. My winning essay was published in the Guardian. Now, I work as an Ideas Apprentice at the RSA, a policy and discussion forum in London, and write occasionally for the Observer. My first novel is long awaited, especially by my agent.'

Read Roland's review of the Harry Potter Series

  - Rowland Manthorpe, graduated 2005