Oliver Kamm: From Financial Markets to The Times and Books on Language

Introduction

Oliver Kamm is a British journalist, author, and former financial-market professional. He is best known for his work with The Times, where he writes about economics, international affairs, and culture.

His route into journalism was unusual.

He spent years working in finance first. That included roles at the Bank of England, HSBC Securities, and Commerzbank Securities. He later moved into full-time writing and built a career that now covers journalism, economics, language, and books.

Quick Facts About Oliver Kamm

Fact	Detail
Full Name	Oliver Kamm
Profession	Journalist and author
Current Role	Leader writer and columnist for The Times
Main Writing Areas	Economics, international affairs, culture, and language
University	New College, University of Oxford
Oxford Course	Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE)
Oxford Years	1982–1985
Former Financial Employers	Bank of England, HSBC Securities, Commerzbank Securities
Notable Book	Accidence Will Happen
Later Book	Mending the Mind
Current Publications	The Times, Prospect, Jewish Chronicle, and others

Who Is Oliver Kamm?

Oliver Kamm is a writer with two quite different professional backgrounds.

First came finance.

Then came journalism.

Currently, his literary agency describes him as a leader writer and columnist for The Times. He writes two weekly columns and serves as the newspaper’s principal editorial writer on economics, international affairs, and culture.

That background explains why his work can jump from economic policy to international questions and then, quite unexpectedly, to English grammar.

Basically, his career never stayed in one lane.

Oliver Kamm’s Education at Oxford

Kamm studied at New College, Oxford.

The university’s own New College record identifies him as a PPE student from 1982 to 1985. PPE stands for Philosophy, Politics and Economics.

It fits his later career rather neatly.

Economics became his profession. Politics and public affairs became regular subjects in his writing. Questions around language, argument, and ideas also became a big part of his work.

Still, the facts are simple.

Oxford came first. Finance followed.

His Early Career in Finance

Before newspapers became his main job, Kamm worked in the City.

His professional profile records his early work at the Bank of England. He then became European Equity Strategist at HSBC Securities and later Head of Strategic Research at Commerzbank Securities.

Those were serious market roles.

They also gave him direct experience of economics and investment research before he began writing about such subjects for a broad readership.

That matters.

His economics commentary did not start from journalism alone. It came after years spent working around financial markets.

Move Into Journalism

Kamm eventually left his financial career behind and became a full-time writer.

His work became closely associated with The Times, where he developed a role covering economics, world affairs, and culture.

He has also contributed to publications including Prospect and the Jewish Chronicle. His agency continues to list those publications among his current writing outlets.

His writing can be direct.

Sometimes argumentative.

And often built around a clear position rather than a neutral academic discussion. That is especially visible in his work on language and public affairs.

Oliver Kamm and The Times

The Times is the central part of Kamm’s journalism career.

New College was already describing him in 2019 as a British journalist and a leader writer and columnist at the newspaper.

His current professional profile still lists the same core connection.

As of September 2026, Kamm is described as writing two weekly columns while handling editorial writing in economics, international affairs, and culture.

So this is not simply an old job title.

The role remains current.

Writing About the English Language

One of the more interesting parts of Kamm’s career has little to do with investment markets.

Grammar.

Yep, grammar.

His book Accidence Will Happen: The Non-Pedantic Guide to English Usage was published by W&N, with its paperback edition released in October 2015.

The book questions many traditional grammar rules that people are often taught as fixed facts.

Kamm argues that some supposed rules do not match the real history or everyday use of English. His approach relies heavily on linguistic evidence and established writing rather than simply repeating old grammar instructions.

Think split infinitives.

Sentence-ending prepositions.

Starting a sentence with “and.”

These are exactly the sort of language arguments the book tackles.

His Language Writing Continues

Kamm has not left the subject behind.

On 14 February 2026, Prospect published his article “Why it’s time to close the book on Fowler.”

The piece looked at H. W. Fowler’s famous A Dictionary of Modern English Usage, originally published in 1926, and questioned the authority often given to old rules of English usage.

That article matters because it shows his language writing is still active.

It is not simply a subject attached to an older book.

Prospect also currently identifies Kamm as a leader writer and columnist for The Times.

Mending the Mind

Kamm later turned to a far more personal subject.

His book Mending the Mind: The Art and Science of Overcoming Clinical Depression was published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson in January 2021.

The book combines scientific research with Kamm’s publicly disclosed experience of severe depression and recovery.

This part is personal, obviously.

But it is also part of his published professional work. The publisher says Kamm used his own experience as a starting point for examining how depression has been understood and treated through science, medicine, literature, and history.

The paperback followed in January 2022.

Oliver Kamm’s Books

Kamm’s writing has moved across very different subjects.

Accidence Will Happen

Accidence Will Happen focuses on English grammar and usage.

Instead of treating every traditional grammar instruction as fixed law, the book checks how English actually works. It discusses common disputes about sentence structure, word choice, and supposedly incorrect forms.

It is probably the book most closely connected with his public work on language.

Mending the Mind

Mending the Mind takes a different route.

It discusses clinical depression through personal experience, scientific research, psychology, psychiatry, and cultural history.

The subjects could hardly be more different.

Yet both books share one habit: questioning assumptions and checking them against evidence.

Family Background

One part of Kamm’s family background connects closely with the world of words.

His mother was Anthea Bell, the celebrated British literary translator. Bell became widely known for translating major European writers and the English editions of the Asterix comics.

This family connection is publicly documented, but Kamm’s professional career stands on its own.

There is no need to guess about how much his mother’s career shaped his interest in language.

The public record already gives us enough.

What Does Oliver Kamm Write About?

His subjects cover a wide range.

Economics remains one.

International affairs is another.

Culture appears regularly too.

Then there is language.

That last subject has become a clear part of his public identity as a writer, especially through Accidence Will Happen and his later Prospect essays.

His financial background gives another layer to the story. He did not begin as a general newspaper commentator. He came from economic analysis and market strategy.

Actually, that career switch is one of the most interesting things about him.

Oliver Kamm’s Current Work

As of September 2026, Oliver Kamm remains professionally active as a journalist.

His current agency profile lists him as a leader writer and columnist for The Times, writing two weekly columns and working mainly across economics, international affairs, and culture.

His February 2026 Prospect article also confirms that he continues to publish work outside The Times.

So, right now, journalism remains his main public role.

Why Oliver Kamm Is Known

There is no single answer.

Some readers know him from The Times.

Others know his writing on English usage.

Readers interested in finance may notice his earlier City career.

And Mending the Mind introduced his work to an audience interested in depression, treatment, and mental-health research.

His professional story crosses several areas, but the main thread is writing backed by years of work in economics and a strong interest in how evidence changes arguments.

Final Thought

Oliver Kamm’s career did not follow the standard newspaper route.

He studied PPE at Oxford, worked inside major financial institutions, and then moved into journalism.

From there, his subjects widened.

Economics stayed.

International affairs stayed.

Language became a major interest too.

Books followed.

Currently, he remains a Times leader writer and columnist, while his work on grammar and language continues to appear in publications such as Prospect.

It is a career built across very different fields.

That is what makes his profile interesting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Oliver Kamm?

Oliver Kamm is a British journalist and author. He currently works as a leader writer and columnist for The Times.

What does Oliver Kamm do at The Times?

His current professional profile says he writes two weekly columns and serves as the newspaper’s principal editorial writer on economics, international affairs, and culture.

Where did Oliver Kamm study?

He studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at New College, Oxford, from 1982 to 1985.

Did Oliver Kamm work in finance?

Yes. His documented career includes work at the Bank of England, HSBC Securities, and Commerzbank Securities before he became a full-time writer.

What is Accidence Will Happen about?

Accidence Will Happen is a book about English grammar and usage. It questions many traditional grammar rules and looks at language through evidence and actual usage.

What is Mending the Mind about?

Mending the Mind combines Kamm’s publicly discussed experience of severe depression with research into the science, treatment, history, and understanding of depression.

Is Oliver Kamm still writing in 2026?

Yes. Prospect published a new article by him on 14 February 2026, and his current professional profile continues to list him as a Times leader writer and columnist.

What topics does Oliver Kamm write about?

His main documented subjects include economics, international affairs, culture, and English language usage.