University of York Admitted Student Profiles & Alumni

Greg Dyke

Former Director-General of the BBC, Chair of FA, BFI Chair, and York Chancellor

BA (Politics)

1974

Anthony Horowitz

Bestselling author & screenwriter (Alex Rider, Foyle’s War)

BA (English Lit & Art History)

1977

Jung Chang

Author of Wild Swans

PhD (Linguistics)

1982

Sally Wainwright

Screenwriter of Happy Valley, Last Tango in Halifax

BA (English Lit & Creative Writing)

N/A

Sarah Davies

Founder, Crafter’s Companion; Dragon’s Den star

First-class Business Degree

2006

Harry Enfield

Comedian and actor (Harry Enfield & Chums)

BA (Politics)

1982

Victor Lewis-Smith

Writer, critic, media personality

BA (N/A)

N/A

Tanya Byron

Child psychologist and TV presenter

BA (Psychology)

1989

Peter Hitchens

Journalist and author

BA (Philosophy & Politics)

1973

Harriet Harman

Labour MP, former Deputy Leader of Labour, acting Leader of the Opposition

BA (Politics)

1972

Jack Layton

Former NDP Leader in Canada; key social/environment advocate

MA & PhD (Political Science)

1972, 1983

Marina Lewycka

Author of A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian

BPhil (English Lit)

1970

Linda Grant

Novelist and journalist

BA (English Lit)

1975

Graham Swift

Booker Prize–winning novelist (Waterland, Last Orders)

DPhil (English)

1973

Phil Lester

YouTuber & BBC Radio 1 host (AmazingPhil)

BA (English Lang & Linguistics), MA (Postproduction)

2008, 2009

Zoe Lyons

Comedian and TV personality

BA (Psychology)

1992

Peter Lord

Co-founder of Aardman Animations (Wallace & Gromit)

BA (English)

1976

Andrea Barber

Actress (Full House, Fuller House)

N/A

N/A

Daron Acemoglu

Influential economist and author (Why Nations Fail)

N/A (Economics)

N/A

Rachel Reeves

UK MP and Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer

BA (N/A)

2000