Chris Courtman has served as the Finance and Operations Director at St John’s College since 2023. Overseeing finance, estates, strategy and compliance, Chris’s wide-ranging role touches almost every aspect of life at St John’s. The Chronicle sits down with him to hear more about his responsibilities, the opportunities and challenges they bring, and the exciting […]

Katie Hickson reflects on five years on the trustee board of the SJCR. A St John’s student from 2013 to 2016, she returned to the SJCR as an external trustee in 2021, later serving as Chair. As she steps down from the Board, Katie looks back on her journey with John’s and her time with […]

PhD student Xiaoge Wang on their experience at the 2026 Cambridge Literary Festival As a third-year PhD student in English researching contemporary British literature, much of my academic life is shaped by intensive reading and writing under considerable time pressure. It has inevitably narrowed my reading practices, as theoretical and critical materials must take priority […]

Eleanor Arneil explores the work that goes into running our college formals Formals are a massive part of college life, providing an opportunity to socialise with friends, network with guests and enjoy a tasty meal. However, the considerable behind-the-scenes effort to organise formals is often underappreciated. After learning more about how St John’s formals are […]

Shravanee Amrute: Anecdotes from a student’s life in Durham. Some cities are flashy, and some are Durham. Durham shows itself to a person through a gradual shift that is very much like charcoal drawing on textured paper. It doesn’t want to impress you or make you love it. Rather, it waits patiently for you to […]

Canon Dr Sanjee Perera is a Cognitive Psychologist and Theologian and serves as the lecturer in Mission and Evangelism at Cranmer Hall. Find out more about her work and what drew her to Cranmer Hall and St John’s. Tell us a little about your professional background I have held academic teaching roles for almost all […]

With the support of the St John’s Opportunity Fund, Anna Velykorodnyy travelled to Serbia with Emmanuel Church Durham, a trip which illuminated the power of faith and language to connect people across the world. I have always loved discovering and engaging with other cultures, especially through learning foreign languages. I find it easy to connect […]

Swastika Paudel describes her time at the World Heritage UK Spring Workshop 2026 at Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site in Matlock Bath. With the support of the St John’s College Student Opportunities Fund, I was able to attend the World Heritage UK Spring Workshop 2026 at Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site in Matlock […]

From leading worship in Chapel to teaching New Testament, taking the emergency phone and fitting in a Saturday parkrun, the role of the Warden of Cranmer Hall is wonderfully varied. In this interview, Nick Moore reflects on the path that brought him to Durham, what makes St John’s and Cranmer Hall so distinctive, and the […]

Katherine and Andrew Miller return to St John’s College, where they met in 2009. Andrew and Katherine enjoyed the sun in St John’s grounds during their visit. Katherine Miller and Andrew Miller first met in 2009 at St John’s College, Durham, and they returned this spring to visit. At the time, Andrew was in his […]