Dame Karin Judith Barber, (born 2 July 1949) is a British cultural anthropologist and academic, who specialises in the Yoruba-speaking area of Nigeria. From 1999 to 2017, she was Professor of African Cultural Anthropology at the University of Birmingham. Before joining the Centre of West African Studies of the University of Birmingham, she was a lecturer at the University of Ife in Nigeria. Since 2018, she has been Centennial Professor of Anthropology at the London School of Economics. Barber has written two introductory textbooks for the Yoruba language, and a number of books concerning Yoruba culture, and oral literature and written literature in Africa. She has been awarded a number of prizes for her publications, and has been recognised by her peers and the British government for her contributions to scholarship. Early life and education Barber was born on 2 July 1949 to Charles and Barbara Barber. She was educated at Lawnswood High School, an all-girls state grammar school in Lawnswood, Leeds. She studied English at Girton College, Cambridge, and graduated with a first class Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree; as per tradition, her BA was promoted to a Master of Arts (MA Cantab). Barber then changed direction and studied social anthropology at University College London, completing a graduate diploma. She then undertook postgraduate research at the University of Ife in Nigeria, where she completed her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree. Her research concerned the "role of oral poetic performance in everyday life" in Okuku, Osun State, Nigeria. Academic career From 1977 to 1984, Barber was a lecturer in the Department of African Languages and Literature at the University of Ife in Nigeria. Yoruba, which she had learnt during her doctorate, was used as the medium of instruction. In 1985, she moved back to the United Kingdom and joined the Centre of West African Studies of the University of Birmingham. She was a lecturer from 1985 to 1993, a senior lecturer from 1993 to 1997, and then Reader from 1997 to 1999. From 1998 to 2001, she served as Director of the Centre of West African Studies. In 1999, she was appointed Professor of African Cultural Anthropology. She retired from Birmingham in 2017, and was appointed professor emeritus. Since 2018, she has been Centennial Professor of Anthropology at the London School of Economics. In addition to her full-time academic positions, Barber has held a number of visiting appointments. For the