Dr Athol Williams

Athol Williams is an applied philosopher and poet who studied for an MPhil in Political Theory at Hertford College.

He has dedicated his life to fighting social and economic injustice, including directly campaigning against corruption in his native South Africa, and founded Read to Rise, a literacy charity that has provided books to over 350,000 children from under-resourced communities.

Since finishing his Master’s degree, Athol has also gained a DPhil from Oxford, having already earned an MPA from Harvard, an MBA from the MIT Sloan School, an MSc (Finance) from London Business School and an MSc (Political Theory) from the LSE. Alongside his honorary fellowship, he is a Lecturer in Management at the Saïd Business School where he focuses on strategy and business ethics, as well as a Research Associate at the John Porter Diplomacy Centre at Hertford College.

Athol is an award-winning author of 20 books across a range of genres and an inspirational public speaker. He has received numerous awards for his exemplary public service including the Mayor’s Medal for Extraordinary Bravery from the City of Cape Town for his selfless actions against corruption.