The first female Oxford Professor of Poetry resigned today following her involvement in an alleged smear campaign against a former rival.
Ruth Padel, a great-great granddaughter of Charles Darwin, insisted she had "acted in good faith" and had done "nothing intentional" to lead her rival Derek Walcott to withdraw from the election.
Oxford University sources said a new election would now be held.
Walcott, who had been the leading candidate for the job which is regarded as one of the most influential in UK poetry behind that of the laureateship, withdrew from the race following an anonymous letter campaign against him.
Today, Professor Padel said: "I genuinely believe that I did nothing intentional that led to Derek Walcott's withdrawal from the election.
"I wish he had not pulled out.
"I did not engage in a smear campaign against him, but, as a result of student concern, I naively — and with hindsight unwisely — passed on to two journalists, whom I believed to be covering the whole election responsibly, information that was already in the public domain."
She went on: "I acted in complete good faith, and would have been happy to lose to Derek, but I can see that people might interpret my actions otherwise.
"I wish to do what is best for the University and I understand that opinion there is divided.
"I therefore resign from the Chair of Poetry. I hope wounds will now heal and I wish the next professor all the best."
She said she would make a full statement in person at The Hay Festival of Literature tomorrow morning.
An Oxford University spokeswoman said: "We respect the decision that Ruth Padel has taken. This has been a difficult chapter for all concerned and a period of reflection may now be in order."
Padel was the first female to take on the role, previously held by the likes of Matthew Arnold, WH Auden and Seamus Heaney, since it was created in 1708.
After a very public battle, the Oxford alumna secured the prestigious post with 297 votes cast by Oxford graduates and academic staff.
Her fellow nominee, Indian poet Arvind Mehrotra, received 129 votes.
Padel's election followed the resignation of Novel Laureate Walcott on May 12th and came despite calls for the contest to be suspended.
The 79-year-old withdrew after anonymous letters were sent to more than 100 Oxford professors in what he described as a "low and degrading" campaign against him.
These were said to have detailed an allegation of sexual harassment made against the St Lucia-born poet by a former student in 1982.
At the time, Padel was described as being "visibly upset" by Walcott's departure and vowed to promote poetry across the university.
PA