| 'Melvyn Bragg, Baron Bragg' | |
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| Born | 6 October 1939 Wigton, Cumbria, England |
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| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | broadcaster & author |
Melvyn, Baron Bragg, FRSL, FRTS (born 6 October 1939) is a British author and broadcaster. Events 105 BC - Battle of Arausio: The Cimbri inflict the heaviest defeat on the Roman army of Gnaeus Mallius Maximus Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Not to be confused with Wigtown in Scotland nor Wigston in Leicestershire England Boundaries and divisions Cumbria is neighboured by Northumberland, County Durham, North Yorkshire, Lancashire, and the Lieutenancy England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The Royal Society of Literature is the "senior literary organisation in Britain " The Royal Television Society (commonly known in the television industry as the RTS) is a British -based society for the discussion analysis and preservation of Events 105 BC - Battle of Arausio: The Cimbri inflict the heaviest defeat on the Roman army of Gnaeus Mallius Maximus Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located
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Early life
Bragg was born in Wigton, Cumbria, the son of Mary Ethel (Park), a tailoress, and Stanley Bragg, a stock keeper turned machinist. Not to be confused with Wigtown in Scotland nor Wigston in Leicestershire England Boundaries and divisions Cumbria is neighboured by Northumberland, County Durham, North Yorkshire, Lancashire, and the Lieutenancy [1] He attended the Nelson Thomlinson School in Wigton and then read Modern History at Wadham College, Oxford in the late 1950s. The Nelson Thomlinson School is a Comprehensive Secondary School located in the market town of Wigton, Cumbria, England. Wadham College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, located at the southern end of Parks Road
Broadcasting career
He started his career in 1961 as a general trainee at the BBC and in his role as writer and broadcaster in 1967, spending his first two years in radio at the BBC World Service, then at the BBC Third Programme and BBC Home Service. Broadcaster may refer to A Broadcasting organization one responsible for the production of radio and television programs and/or their transmission [2]. He then successfully applied to join the production team of Huw Wheldon's Monitor arts series on BBC Television. Sir Huw Pyrs Wheldon OBE MC ( 7 May 1916 &ndash 14 March 1986) was a BBC broadcaster and executive [2] He is perhaps best known for the London Weekend Television (LWT) arts programme The South Bank Show, which he has written, edited and produced since 1978. The South Bank Show is an award-winning Television arts magazine show made by London Weekend Television, presented by Melvyn Bragg, broadcast [3] He has been Controller of Arts at LWT since 1990 (including a stint as Head of Arts from 1982 to 1990). He is also known for his many programmes on BBC Radio 4, including Start the Week, which he presented for ten years, In Our Time, and The Routes of English, a history of the English language. Start the Week is a discussion programme on BBC Radio 4 which began in April 1970. In Our Time is a discussion programme hosted by Melvyn Bragg on BBC Radio 4 in the United Kingdom. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States
Honours
He was appointed to the House of Lords in 1998 as a Labour life peer, under the title Baron Bragg, of Wigton in the County of Cumbria. The House of Lords is the second house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is also commonly referred to as "the Lords" The Labour Party is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century it has been since the 1920s the principal party of the In the United Kingdom, life peers are created members of the Peerage whose titles may not be inherited (those whose titles are inheritable are known as Hereditary
In 1999 Bragg was appointed Chancellor of the University of Leeds. The University of Leeds is a major teaching and research University in Leeds, West Yorkshire; one of the largest in the United Kingdom with He is also President of the National Campaign for the Arts (since 1986), President of the mental health charity Mind, and a Governor of the London School of Economics (since 1997). The National Campaign for the Arts (NCA is a lobbying group for the arts in the United Kingdom Founded in 1985 NCA claims to be the UK's only independent lobbying organization Mind (formally the National Association for Mental Health) is a Mental health charity in England and Wales. The London School of Economics and Political Science, more commonly referred to as The London School of Economics or LSE, is a specialist college of the He was made Domus Fellow, St Catherine's College, Oxford, in 1990, he received an Honorary Fellowship from Wadham College, Oxford in 1995 and he holds 13 honorary doctorates. St Catherine's College, often called St Catz or simply Catz, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England He became a member of the Arts Council Literature Panel in 1969 and has since become Chairman.
Author
Lord Bragg is a prolific novelist and writer of non-fiction, and has written a number of television and film screenplays. A novel (from Italian novella, Spanish novela, French nouvelle for "new" "news" or "short story Non-fiction is an account or representation of a subject which is presented as Fact. See also Pre-production Screenwriting A screenplay or script is a written plan authored by a Screenwriter, for a Film or Television He is president of the National Academy of Writing. The National Academy of Writing is a UK academy dedicated to professional training for writers
Family
Bragg married his first wife, Lisa Roche, when he was 21, and they had one child. He did not know that she had a history of suicide attempts; 10 years later, she killed herself . "I could have done things which helped and I did things which harmed," he told the Guardian in 1998. "So yes, I feel guilt, I feel remorse. " [4]
Bragg's second wife, Catherine (Cate) Haste, whom he married in 1973 is also a writer, having, among other things, edited the 2007 memoir of Clarissa Eden, widow of Sir Anthony Eden, and collaborated with Cherie Booth, wife of Tony Blair, in a 2004 book about the wives of British Prime Ministers. Anne Clarissa Eden Countess of Avon ( née Spencer-Churchill, 28 June 1920) is the widow of Sir Anthony Eden, 1st Earl of Avon Robert Anthony Eden 1st Earl of Avon, KG, MC, PC (12 June 1897 &ndash 14 January 1977 was a British Conservative Politician Cherie Blair (born 23 September 1954 known professionally as Cherie Booth QC, is an English Barrister. Anthony Charles Lynton "Tony" Blair (born 6 May 1953 is a British Politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to
Bibliography
Fiction
- For Want of a Nail (1965)
- The Second Inheritance (1966)
- The Cumbrian Trilogy:
- The Hired Man (1969)
- A Place in England (1970)
- Kingdom Come (1980)
- The Nerve (1971)
- Josh Lawton (1972)
- The Silken Net (1974)
- Autumn Manoeuvres (1978)
- Love and Glory (1983)
- The Maid of Buttermere (1987) (based on real Mary Robinson (Maid of Buttermere))
- Without a City Wall (1988)
- The Second Inheritance (1990)
- A Time to Dance (1990)
- Crystal Rooms (1992)
- Credo (1996) also known as The Sword and the Miracle
- The Soldier's Return Trilogy:
- The Soldier's Return (1999)
- A Son of War (2001)
- Crossing the Lines (2003)
- Remember Me. The Cumbrian Trilogy comprises three novels by Melvyn Bragg, published between 1969 and 1980 The Hired Man is a novel by Melvyn Bragg, first published in 1969 A Place in England is a novel by Melvyn Bragg, first published in 1970 Kingdom Come is a novel by Melvyn Bragg, first published in 1980 Mary Robinson (1778–1837 was known as "The Maid of Buttermere" is the subject of Melvyn Bragg 's novel of that name and is mentioned in William Wordsworth . . (2008)
Non-fiction
- Speak For England (1976)
- Land of The Lakes (1983)
- Laurence Olivier (1984)
- Cumbria in Verse (editor) (1984)
- Rich: The Life of Richard Burton (1988)
- King Lear in New York (1994)
- On Giants' Shoulders (1998)
- Two Thousand Years Part 1: The Birth of Christ to the Crusades (1999)
- Two Thousand Years Part 2 (1999)
- The Routes of English (2001)
- The Adventure of English (2003)
- Twelve Books That Changed the World (2006)
Children's books
- A Christmas Child (1977)
- My Favourite Stories of Lakeland (editor) (1981)
Filmography
As screenwriter:
- Isadora (1968) (with Clive Exton and Margaret Drabble). Laurence Kerr Olivier Baron Overview On Giants Shoulders was written in 1998 by Melvyn Bragg. The Adventure of English is a British television series ( ITV) on the history of the English language presented by Melvyn Bragg as Twelve Books That Changed the World is a book by Melvyn Bragg, published in 2006 Isadora is a 1968 biographical Film which tells the story of celebrated American dancer Isadora Duncan. Clive Exton ( 11 April 1930 - 16 August 2007) was a British Television and Film Scriptwriter, sometime Dame Margaret Drabble (Margaret Lady Holroyd DBE, (born 5 June 1939) is an English Novelist, Biographer and Adapted from Sewell Stokes' book Isadora, an Intimate Portrait and Isadora Duncan's autobiography, My Life. Francis Martin Sewell Stokes ( November 16, 1902 London - November 2, 1979 London) was an English novelist biographer Directed by Karel Reisz, the film starred Vanessa Redgrave and James Fox. Karel Reisz ( July 21, 1926 – November 25 2002) was one of the most important filmmakers in post– war Britain Vanessa Redgrave, CBE (born 30 January, 1937) is an English Academy Award, two-time Cannes Best Actress, James Fox, (born 19 May 1939) is an English Actor. Biography Early life James Fox was born in London to
- Play Dirty (1968)
- The Music Lovers (1970) (also known as Ken Russell's Film on Tchaikovsky and the Music Lovers)
- Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)
Other information
- Bragg is cited as the first person recorded to use the word "prat" to mean "fool". Play Dirty is a 1968 film inspired by the exploits of the Long Range Desert Group. The Music Lovers is a 1970 British Biographical film directed by Ken Russell. Jesus Christ Superstar is a 1973, Oscar-nominated film adaptation of the Rock opera of the same name, based on the last weeks of the life The earliest reference to this use is from his 1969 novel Without a City Wall. [5]
- He is a friend of Tony Blair, the former Labour Prime Minister. Anthony Charles Lynton "Tony" Blair (born 6 May 1953 is a British Politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the political leader of the United Kingdom
Awards and recognition
Awards
- Mail on Sunday/John Llewellyn Rhys Prize for Without a City Wall (1968)
- Time/Life Silver Pen Award for The Hired Man (1970)
- Bad Sex in Fiction Award for A Time to Dance (1993)
- BAFTA TV Award for An Interview with Dennis Potter (1995)
- WH Smith Literary Award for The Soldier's Return (2000)
Recognition
- On 17 October 2005 Bragg officially opened the "Melvyn Bragg Drama Studio", named in his honour, at Millom School, Millom, Cumbria. The John Llewellyn Rhys Prize is a British based Literary prize. The Literary Review Bad Sex in Fiction Award is an award given annually to the Author who produces the worst description of a Sex scene in a Novel The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA is a British charity that hosts annual awards shows for film television television craft video games and forms of animation The WH Smith Literary Award is an award founded in 1959 by British high street retailer W H Smith. Events 539 BC - King Cyrus The Great of Persia marches into the city of Babylon, releasing the Jews from almost Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Millom is a town on the estuary of the River Duddon in Cumbria, England, which in Victorian Times was merely a small hamlet by the name of Holborn
References
- ^ Family detective: Melvyn Bragg - Telegraph
- ^ a b article by Melvyn Bragg in British Mensa Magazine, January 2002, page 7
- ^ ITV Fact File on The South Bank Show.
- ^ Plato or Nietzsche? You choose ...
- ^ Louise Jury What's in a word? When did we start going to the loo? The Independent 3 January 2007
External links
- Melvyn Bragg at the Internet Movie Database
- Melvyn Bragg at www.contemporarywriters.com
- Melvyn Bragg at the Internet Book List
- Radio 4 biography
- Audio at ApprovedAudio.com
- In Our Time
- "Bragg opens namesake drama suite" at BBC News
- Write-up on Arts Council website
- Write-up on Museum of Broadcast Communications website
- Announcement of his introduction at the House of Lords House of Lords minutes of proceedings, 28 October 1998
| Academic offices | ||
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| Preceded by Katharine, The Duchess of Kent |
Chancellor of the University of Leeds 1999 – present |
Incumbent |
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