Notable alumni of University of Leeds

Keir Starmer

barrister · b. 1962

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since 2024

Chris Pine

video game actor · b. 1980

American actor (born 1980)

Wole Soyinka

novelist · b. 1934

Nigerian writer (born 1934)

William Lawrence Bragg

Nobel Prize winner · 1890–1971

Australian-born British physicist and X-ray crystallographer

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o

essayist · 1938–2025

Kenyan writer (1938–2025)

Stephen Jay Gould

evolutionary biologist · 1941–2002

American biologist and historian of science (1941–2002)

George Porter

university teacher · 1920–2002

British chemist (1920–2002)

Mark Knopfler

rock musician · b. 1949

British musician

Hage Geingob

researcher · 1941–2024

President of Namibia from 2015 to 2024

Leslie Cheung

recording artist · 1956–2003

Hong Kong singer and actor (1956–2003)

Catherine Connolly

clinical psychologist · b. 1955

President of Ireland since 2025 (born 1955)

Emma Mackey

film actor · b. 1996

British-French actress and model

Mohamed Muizzu

politician · b. 1978

8th President of the Maldives since 2023

Nambaryn Enkhbayar

politician · b. 1958

Mongolian politician, Leader of Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party

Harold Shipman

serial killer · 1946–2004

English doctor and serial killer (1947-2004)

Jack Straw

barrister · b. 1946

British politician (born 1946)

Mark Gatiss

science fiction writer · b. 1966

British actor, screenwriter and novelist

Ken Robinson

education expert · 1950–2020

UK writer (1950-2020)

Princess Kako of Akishino

aristocrat · b. 1994

Japanese princess; second daughter of Fumihito, Crown Prince of Japan, and Kiko, Crown Princess of Japan

Herbert Edward Read

anarchist · 1893–1968

English anarchist, poet, and critic of literature and art (1893-1968)

Piers Sellers

ecologist · 1955–2016

British-born American astronaut

Corinne Bailey Rae

recording artist · b. 1979

British singer and songwriter

Holliday Grainger

film actor · b. 1988

English actress

David Cox

statistician · 1924–2022

English statistician (1924–2022)

Fiona May

long jumper · b. 1969

British-born Italian long jumper

Peter Morgan

film producer · b. 1963

British film writer and playwright

British zoologist

Alistair Brownlee

triathlete · b. 1988

British triathlete

Little Boots

recording artist · b. 1984

English electronic musician and singer

Jonathan Brownlee

triathlete · b. 1990

British triathlete

Dan Smith

singer-songwriter · b. 1986

English singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist

Sayeeda Warsi, Baroness Warsi

jurist · b. 1971

British-Pakistani lawyer and politician (born 1971)

Alyn Smith

politician · b. 1973

Scottish politician (born 1973)

Patrick Herminie

politician · b. 1963

Seychellois politician

British sociologist (1918-2014)

British scientist and authority on biological warfare (1944-2003)

Matthias Maurer

materials scientist · b. 1970

German ESA astronaut

English footballer (1927-2018)

José Ángel Gurría

general secretary · b. 1950

Mexican economist and diplomat

Jess Phillips

politician · b. 1981

British politician (born 1981)

Roparz Hemon

lexicographer · 1900–1978

Breton writer (1900–1978)

Richard Quest

discussion moderator · b. 1962

English television journalist

Reynhard Sinaga

b. 1983

Indonesian rapist

English actress

English linguist (1890-1960)

British phonetician (1882-1937)

Natasia Demetriou

television presenter · b. 1984

British actress

British historian of Japan

Peter Robinson

novelist · 1950–2022

Canadian crime writer (1950–2022)

Clare Short

politician · b. 1946

British politician (born 1946)

British composer

Jonathan Clements

science fiction writer · b. 1971

British author and scriptwriter (born 1971)

Henry Drysdale Dakin

chemist · 1880–1952

British chemist (1880-1952)

Fink

recording artist · b. 1972

English musician

William Eagle Clarke

ornithologist · 1853–1938

British ornithologist (1853-1938)

Julian Beever

draftsperson · b. 1959

English artist

Paul Scoon

school teacher · 1935–2013

Governor-General of Grenada (1935-2013)

Chris Harman

philosopher · 1942–2009

British journalist and political activist (1942-2009)

Ilan Eshkeri

musician · b. 1977

English film composer (*1977)

British actress

Ghanaian paediatric surgeon

Arthur Greenwood

politician · 1880–1954

British politician (1880-1954)

Ugandan writer and actress

British actress (born 1989)

Louise Doughty

theatre critic · b. 1963

English novelist, playwright and journalist

Alan Campbell

politician · b. 1957

British politician (born 1957)

Niyi Osundare

literary critic · b. 1947

Nigerian writer

Saul Adler

parasitologist · 1895–1966

Israeli microbiologist (1895–1966)

British marine biologist (1876-1971)

Tony Harrison

film director · 1937–2025

British poet and playwright (1937–2025)

Abigail Marshall Katung

politician · b. 1973

member of Leeds City Council

Storm Jameson

science fiction writer · 1891–1986

British writer (1891-1986)

David Baulcombe

geneticist · b. 1952

British geneticist

Csaba Kőrösi

diplomat · b. 1958

Hungarian diplomat

Terri Attwood

bioinformatician · b. 1959

British bioinformatician

Tanzanian actress and writer

Aisha Abubakar

official · b. 1966

Nigerian politician, Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment since 2015

Dugald Clerk

inventor · 1854–1932

British engineer (1854–1932)

Harry Triguboff

entrepreneur · b. 1933

Australian businessman

Wizard of New Zealand

magician · b. 1932

New Zealand educator, comedian, magician, and politician (born 1932)

Isaac Berenblum

cancer researcher · 1903–2000

Polish-born Israeli biochemist (1903-2000)

G. N. Devy

linguist · b. 1950

Indian social activist, literary critic and academic

David Coburn

politician · b. 1959

British politician (born 1959)

Anita Rani

journalist · b. 1977

British television and radio presenter

Maya Krishna Rao

docent · b. 1953

Indian Theatre Artist

Chelsy Davy

businessperson · b. 1985

Zimbabwean businesswoman and lawyer

Barry Cryer

radio personality · 1935–2022

British writer and comedian (1935–2022)

Steve Bell

caricaturist · b. 1951

Political cartoonist (born 1951)

British diver

Palestinian gynaecologist

Lütfi Elvan

mining engineer · b. 1962

Turkish mining engineer and statesperson (born 1962)

British writer

British field hockey player

British communication theorist, academic and writer (1935-2017)

English actress, dancer and model

Chris Leslie

politician · b. 1972

British politician (born 1972)

Kenyan business woman, corporate executive, banker and academic

Nana Ayew Afriye

nurse · b. 1978

Ghanaian politician

John Battle

politician · b. 1951

British politician (born 1951)

British mathematician noted for his contribution to fluid dynamics (1903–1989)

English-Welsh rugby union footballer

Nus Ghani

politician · b. 1972

British Conservative Party politician (born 1972)

Hadiza Bala Usman

politician · b. 1976

Nigerian activist and politician

British volcanologist (1926–2005)

Zimbabwean politician

Yahya Al-Sarraj

university teacher · b. 1962

Mayor of Gaza City

Tom Palmer

rugby union player · b. 1979

English rugby union footballer

Jack Fox

television actor · b. 1985

British actor (b. 1985)

Nicholas Kaiser

university teacher · 1954–2023

British astronomer (1954-2023)

Twentieth century Australian novelist and poet (1935–2010)

British geneticist (b. 1954)

Rasmus Prehn

politician · b. 1973

Danish politician

marine biologist (1866-1942)

Paul Brannen

university teacher · b. 1962

member of the European Parliament (born 1962)

Alan Yentob

producer · 1947–2025

British television executive and presenter (1947–2025)

Alice Levine

presenter · b. 1986

British broadcaster

Barry John

theatre director · b. 1944

Anglo-Indian theatre director (born 1944)

Andrew Percy

politician · b. 1977

British politician (born 1977)

sociologist

Steve Darby

association football player · b. 1955

English footballer and manager (born 1955)

Jeanne Siméon

politician · b. 1952

Seychellois government minister

Jane Brophy

council member · b. 1963

British politician (born 1963)

Rebecca Taylor

politician · b. 1975

English politician (born 1975)

Charles Edward Moss

scientific collector · 1870–1930

South African botanist (1870-1930)

Vijaya Mulay

film director · 1921–2019

Indian film director (1921–2019)

British politician (born 1953)

Jon Trickett

council member · b. 1950

British Labour politician

Gordon Adam

politician · b. 1934

British mining engineer and Labour Party politician (born 1934)

British botanist

American botanist (1901-1973)

Bangladeshi physician

English boxer

Daniel Steiner

film actor · b. 1973

actor and film director

British aviation pioneer (1885–1955)

Angola-Portuguese model

Janet Holmes

sociolinguist · b. 1947

New Zealand sociolinguist

Nigerian author

Khalid Abdul Samad

politician · b. 1957

Malaysian politician

Anthony Thirlwall

university teacher · 1941–2023

British economist (1941–2023)

Claire Cashmore

para swimmer · b. 1988

Paralympic triathlete and swimmer (1988-)

Erywan Yusof

civil servant

Bruneian politician

Florence Bell

crystallographer · 1913–2000

British X-ray crystallographer (1913-2000)

Kathleen Stock

philosopher · b. 1972

British philosopher (1972-)

Louis Stedman-Bryce

politician · b. 1974

member of the European Parliament for Scotland (born 1974)

Will Buxton

sports journalist · b. 1981

British journalist and Formula One digital presenter

Sudanese women's rights activist and translator

British historian of France

James Gourlay

musician · b. 1954

Scottish conductor and tubist

Rebecca Evans

politician · b. 1976

Welsh politician (born 1976)

Timothy Allen

journalist · b. 1971

English photographer and journalist

Jeremy Dyson

television writer · b. 1966

British screenwriter

Lisa Lutz

novelist · b. 1970

US author

Henry Gee

science fiction writer · b. 1962

British paleontologist, evolutionary biologist and editor

British racing driver

Hamid-Reza Sadr

film critic · 1956–2021

Iranian film critic (1956-2021)

British boxer and poet (1922–2007)

Kris Hopkins

politician · b. 1963

British politician (born 1963)

Usha Prashar, Baroness Prashar

lawyer · b. 1948

Parliamentarian (born 1948)

Benjamin Mount

rapper · b. 1977

British rapper

British Anglican priest (1907–1971)

May Sybil Leslie

chemist · 1887–1937

English chemist (1887–1937)

economist, writer, feminist, a founding member of Akina Mama wa Afrika

Islamic scholar

Nigerian politician

Andrew Leung

justice of the peace · b. 1951

Hong Kong politician

Andrew Jones

politician · b. 1963

British politician, born 1963

Christopher Newton

theatre director · 1936–2021

Canadian actor

David Kramer

director · b. 1951

South African musician

British politician (1945-1999)

English comedian, author and broadcaster

British engineer and activist

English television and theatre actress

British chemist

businessperson

British dramatist

Mustafa Osman İsmail

diplomat · b. 1955

Sudanese politician

Naga Munchetty

journalist · b. 1975

British journalist and television presenter

English artist (1940–2014)

professor of psychiatry

British journalist

Keith Milow

printmaker · b. 1945

British artist (born 1945)

UK singer, songwriter and writer

British television director and producer

Chris Haskett

guitarist · b. 1962

American guitarist

Kamal Bani Hani

academic · b. 1958

Jordanian surgeon and academic

Harry Brautigam

university teacher · 1948–2008

Nicaraguan economist

Nigerian academic and development economist

Sarah Lynn Dawson

film actor · b. 1981

British actress and writer

Steve Rosenberg

journalist · b. 1968

British journalist

researcher

Amanda Blanc

business executive · b. 1967

British businesswoman

Elina Bardach-Yalov

social activist · b. 1982

Israeli politician

Steven Linares

barrister · b. 1901

Gibraltarian politician

Andy Kershaw

broadcaster · 1959–2026

English broadcaster (1959–2026)

Hallie Rubenhold

curator · b. 1971

American-born British historian and author

Jamal Suliman

film director · b. 1959

Syrian actor

Zahida Manzoor

business executive · b. 1958

British businesswoman (born 1958)

English politician (1904-1959)

British screenwriter and actress

Ugandan poet (1938-1979)