Biography dictionary criticised for lack of new BAME entrants

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography accused of blinkered view but argues it merely provides snapshot of history

The editors of the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography have been accused of taking a blinkered view of history after including only five black people in the 241 new entrants.

The latest edition of the online reference book, regarded as the pantheon of British history, features a mammoth biography of Margaret Thatcher for the first time. At 33,268 words in length it is behind only entries for William Shakespeare and Elizabeth I and ahead of those for Winston Churchill, Oliver Cromwell and Henry VIII.

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