Jane Hawking

Jane Hawking. Jane Hawking is an English author and former educator, best known for her long marriage to the theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking. Her memoir, Music to Move the Stars, later revised as Travelling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen, provided a candid account of their life together, which was adapted into the acclaimed film The Theory of Everything. Her own academic work in medieval Iberian Romance languages and her subsequent literary career have established her as a significant figure in her own right.

Early life and education

Jane Beryl Wilde was born in St Albans, Hertfordshire, into a family with connections to the Civil Service. She attended St Albans High School for Girls before pursuing higher education at Westfield College, then a constituent college of the University of London. There, she studied modern languages, developing a particular interest in Medieval Spanish literature. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree and later returned to academic study, earning a PhD from Westfield College for her research on medieval Portuguese and Spanish poetry.

Marriage to Stephen Hawking

Jane met Stephen Hawking, then a graduate student at Cambridge, at a New Year's Eve party in 1962. They married in July 1965 at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, shortly after Stephen was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Jane dedicated herself to his care as his physical condition declined, managing their household and raising their three children—Robert, Lucy, and Timothy—while supporting his work at the University of Cambridge and the Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge. The strain of his celebrity, his increasing disability, and the presence of caregivers, including nurse Elaine Mason, placed immense pressure on the marriage. They separated in 1990 and were divorced in 1995, after Stephen Hawking married Elaine Mason.

Academic career and research

Alongside her familial duties, Jane Hawking maintained her own scholarly pursuits. Her doctoral thesis focused on the lyric poetry of early Portuguese and Spanish troubadours. She taught languages at a secondary school in Cambridge and occasionally lectured on her research specialty. Her academic work contributed to the field of Romance studies, examining the cultural exchanges in the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages. Though her career was often overshadowed by her husband's global fame, she remained an active researcher affiliated with her alma mater, Westfield College, which later merged with Queen Mary University of London.

Writing and public life

Jane Hawking began writing to articulate her personal experiences, publishing her first memoir, Music to Move the Stars, in 1999. A significantly revised and more detailed version, Travelling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen, was published in 2007. This book became the primary source for Anthony McCarten's screenplay for the 2014 biographical drama The Theory of Everything, starring Felicity Jones and Eddie Redmayne. She has also written a novel, Silent Music, and frequently participates in literary festivals, interviews, and events related to ALS advocacy. Her public appearances often discuss the challenges of caregiving, the complexities of her marriage, and the importance of maintaining personal identity.

Later life and legacy

Following her divorce from Stephen Hawking, Jane married family friend and musician Jonathan Hellyer Jones in 1997; he died in 2022. She continues to live in Cambridge and remains a vocal commentator on the legacy of Stephen Hawking. Her memoirs are considered crucial documents for understanding the human story behind one of the greatest scientific minds of the 20th century, offering insights into the realities of disability, family life, and personal sacrifice. Through her writing and lectures, Jane Hawking has secured her own legacy as a chronicler of a remarkable period in scientific history and as a scholar of medieval literature.

Category:English biographers Category:Alumni of the University of London Category:People from St Albans