Geography, geographers and the New Dictionary of National Biography

Work on a new edition of the Dictionary of National Biography (DNB) is beginning at the University of Oxford with support from the British Academy and Oxford University Press. The new edition like the old will collate signed biographical memoirs of individuals to form the definitive biographical record of British life. The new edition will include the lives of many people, such as women, popular entertainers and people important outside the metropolis, who were inadequately covered in the original edition. In doing so it will help redefine the concepts of "the nation" and "national life." New technology for sorting and manipulating data will greatly enhance the usefulness of the New DNB. Geographers have much to contribute to the project and their assistance is sought.