Handsome, intimidatingly brilliant and somewhat unhinged, The Dean of College is a force of nature. Little is known about The Dean’s personal life, if he indeed has one, as he takes his role very seriously indeed. Answerable only to The Master (and often, not even him), his primary objective in College is to ensure everything is done in the correct way, which is, of course, his way. The Dean’s area of academic excellence lies in law and he is unusual among The Fellowship in that he actually had a highly successful career out in the real world before taking the mantle of Dean at Old College. He has travelled widely and has a worldliness that is noticeably absent in many of his learned colleagues. Often unintentionally hilarious, his bombastic mindset is both terrifying and awesome to behold. He carries himself with the kind of justified arrogance one cannot help but admire and he is truly the power behind the throne at Old College. His influence reaches to the very top of The University itself and he is a man to be crossed at one’s peril.
Despite dedicating himself to a totalitarian rule of Old College, The Dean still finds time to indulge in (and often instigate) the exploits and investigations that arise from the Porters’ Lodge. His great sense of adventure means he has no qualms about covering up murders, nor even embarking upon a sham affair with Deputy Head Porter. He has limited tolerance for foolishness and insists that whisky is the only proper beverage to be consumed after elevenses.
The Dean has always been my very favourite character of Old College. He is enormous fun to write as he really can do or say pretty much anything and get away with it. One of the original cast, he is based quite heavily on the real Dean from my time as an actual Deputy Head Porter. DHP’s admiration for The Dean comes from my own open-mouthed veneration for the larger-than-life, stentorian gentleman that would strut about College as if he owned the place. His literary namesake is quite obviously an exaggerated parody; the original possesses a very dry sense of humour (which, by his own admission, was subject to failure on occasion) and a consummate professionalism that the Old College version lacks. I am incredibly tempted to introduce you to the real Dean, but he is even more fearsome than the Old College version and if he isn’t amused, vengeance would be swift and definite. I fear nothing and no one – except the Dean of College.
Lucy Brazier 
Reblogged this on Readsalot and commented:
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Okay, my page turning fingers are itchy now. When can us poor paperback junkies expect an actual paperback copy to be available? I’m afraid I don’t do Kindle… 🙂
I don’t do Kindle either, nor do any of my family or closest friends so all my nearest and dearest are in the same position! I am awaiting some sort of confirmation regarding the paperbacks. It won’t be too long and will be worth the wait, my friend! 🙂
Please let us know! 🙂
I absolutely shall!! My mum is bothering me constantly about it. As soon as I have any news I will post on here 🙂
Good, I’m with mom! 😉
😀 I am on it!!
Ah, knew I got to you with that threat! Otherwise you would have your mom and me pestering you… 😀
Hehehe – I can’t have you both ganging up on me! I also really want my own copy, of course. I don’t even own a Kindle so it looks like a whole bunch of people will get my book before I will! 😮
Ah, but you know how it ends. It is the rest of us you shall have to be wary of!!! 😉
Haha! Okay so some good news – I emailed my publisher and the paperback will be available 5-7 days after the digital release on 1st September 😀 I will do a post with a link as soon as it is available, but not too long to wait! 😀
Whew! That is a relief. I was afraid we were going to have to … 😉