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Humphrey Carpenter

January 01, 1970

Humphrey William Bouverie Carpenter (29 April 1946 – 4 January 2005) was an English biographer, writer, and radio broadcaster. He is known especially for his biographies of J. R. R. Tolkien and other members of the literary society the Inklings.

Humphrey Carpenter
BornHumphrey William Bouverie Carpenter
(1946-04-29)29 April 1946
Oxford, England
Died4 January 2005(2005-01-04) (aged 58)
Oxford, England
OccupationWriter, biographer and broadcaster
Alma materKeble College, Oxford
Notable worksJ. R. R. Tolkien: A Biography
Mr Majeika

Early life edit

Carpenter was born (and lived almost all of his life, and died) in the city of Oxford, England. His father was Harry Carpenter, Bishop of Oxford. His mother was Urith Monica Trevelyan, who had training in the Fröbel teaching method.[1] As a child, he lived in the Warden's Lodgings at Keble College, Oxford, where his father served as warden until his appointment as Bishop of Oxford. He was educated at the Dragon School, Oxford and Marlborough College. He returned to Oxford to read English at Keble College.[citation needed]

Broadcasting edit

Carpenter began his broadcasting career at BBC Radio Oxford as a presenter and producer where he met Mari Prichard (whose father was Caradog Prichard, the Welsh novelist and poet); they married in 1973.[1][2] They jointly produced A Thames Companion in 1975. He played a role in launching Radio 3's arts discussion programme Night Waves and acted as a regular presenter of other programmes on the network including Radio 3's afternoon drivetime programme In Tune and, until it was discontinued, its Sunday request programme Listeners' Choice. Until his death, he presented the BBC Radio 4 biography series Great Lives recorded in Bristol. The last edition recorded before his death featured an interview with the singer Eddi Reader about the poet Robert Burns, the major focus of her creative work. BBC Radio 4 broadcast this programme on New Year's Eve, 2004.

Jazz music and children's drama edit

Carpenter was an amateur jazz musician who played the piano, the saxophone, and the double-bass, the last instrument professionally in a dance band in the 1970s. In 1983, he formed a 1930s style jazz band, Vile Bodies, which for many years enjoyed a residency at the Ritz Hotel in London. He also founded the Mushy Pea Theatre Group, a children's drama group based in Oxford, which premiered his Mr Majeika: The Musical in 1991 and Babes, a musical about Hollywood child stars.

Children's books edit

His Mr Majeika series of children's books were adapted for television. The Joshers: Or London to Birmingham with Albert and Victoria (1977) is a children's adventure book, similar in style to The Railway Children and based on the adventure of taking a working narrowboat up the Grand Union Canal from London to Birmingham.

Non-fiction works edit

His biographies included J. R. R. Tolkien: A Biography (1977; also editing of The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien), The Inklings: CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien, Charles Williams and their Friends (1978; winner of the 1978 Somerset Maugham Award), W. H. Auden (1981), Ezra Pound (1988; winner of the Duff Cooper Memorial Prize), Evelyn Waugh (1989), Benjamin Britten (1992), Robert Runcie (1997), Dennis Potter, and Spike Milligan (2004). He also authored Geniuses Together: American Writers in Paris in the 1920s (1987), and his last book The Seven Lives of John Murray (2008) about John Murray and the publishing house of Albemarle Street, was published posthumously.

He also wrote histories of BBC Radio 3 (on which he had regular stints as broadcaster), the British satire boom of the 1960s, Angry Young Men: A Literary Comedy of the 1950s (2002), and a centennial history of the Oxford University Dramatic Society in 1985. His encyclopaedic work, The Oxford Companion to Children's Literature (1984), written jointly with his wife, Mari Prichard, has become a standard reference source.

Death edit

Humphrey Carpenter died in 2005 of heart failure, compounded by the Parkinson's disease from which he had suffered for several years. He was buried in Wolvercote Cemetery in Oxford, also the final resting place of J. R. R. Tolkien.[3] A commemorative stained-glass window was installed in St Margaret's Institute, Polstead Road, honouring Carpenter's many accomplishments.[2]

Selected list of works edit

  • A Thames Companion (with Mari Prichard; Oxford Illustrated, 1975)
  • The Joshers; or London to Birmingham with Albert and Victoria: A Story of the Canals (George Allen & Unwin, 1977)
  • J. R. R. Tolkien. A Biography (HarperCollins, 1977)
  • The Inklings: C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Charles Williams and Their Friends (George Allen & Unwin, 1978)
  • Jesus (Past Masters Series; Oxford University Press, 1980)
  • W. H. Auden. A Biography (George Allen & Unwin, 1981)
  • The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien (editor; George Allen & Unwin, 1981)
  • The Oxford Companion to Children's Literature (with Mari Prichard; Oxford University Press, 1984)
  • O.U.D.S.: A Centenary History of the Oxford University Dramatic Society (Oxford University Press, 1985)
  • Secret Gardens: A Study of the Golden Age of Children's Literature (George Allen & Unwin, 1985)
  • Geniuses Together: American Writers in Paris in the 1920s (Unwin Hyman, 1987)
  • A Serious Character: Ezra Pound (Faber & Faber, 1988)
  • The Brideshead Generation: Evelyn Waugh and His Friends (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1989)
  • Benjamin Britten. A Biography (Faber & Faber, 1992)
  • Shakespeare, Without the Boring Bits (Viking Children's Books, 1994)
  • The Puffin Book of Classic Children's Stories (Viking Children's Books, 1996)
  • Robert Runcie: The Reluctant Archbishop (Hodder & Stoughton, 1996)
  • The Envy of the World: Fifty Years of the BBC Third Programme and Radio 3 (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1996)
  • Dennis Potter. The Authorized Biography (Faber & Faber, 1998)
  • That Was Satire That Was: Beyond the Fringe, the Establishment Club, Private Eye and That Was the Week That Was (Gollancz, 2000)
    • (US edition) A Great, Silly Grin: The British Satire Boom of the 1960s (PublicAffairs, 2002)
  • The Angry Young Men: A Literary Comedy of the 1950s (Allen Lane, 2002)
  • Spike Milligan. The Biography (Hodder & Stoughton, 2003)
  • The Seven Lives of John Murray: The Story of a Publishing Dynasty (John Murray, 2008)

References edit

  1. ^ a b Walsh, John (5 January 2005). "Humphrey Carpenter". The Independent. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  2. ^ a b Kelly, John (5 January 2005). "Humphrey Carpenter: A perceptive biographer and engaging broadcaster with a deep love of music and the imaginative world of the child". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 June 2008.
  3. ^ "Notable People Buried in Oxford Cemeteries" (PDF). Oxford City Council. Retrieved 27 March 2020.

External links edit

  • Gently mischievous broadcaster and prolific writer, The Times, 6 January 2005
  • Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, "Humphrey Carpenter, English biographer, dies at 58", The New York Times, 19 January 2005
  • Tributes Paid to Humphrey Carpenter BBC Radio
  • Humphrey Carpenter at IMDb
  • Finding aid to the Humphrey Carpenter papers at Columbia University Rare Book & Manuscript Library

January 01, 1970
humphrey, carpenter, humphrey, william, bouverie, carpenter, april, 1946, january, 2005, english, biographer, writer, radio, broadcaster, known, especially, biographies, tolkien, other, members, literary, society, inklings, bornhumphrey, william, bouverie, car. Humphrey William Bouverie Carpenter 29 April 1946 4 January 2005 was an English biographer writer and radio broadcaster He is known especially for his biographies of J R R Tolkien and other members of the literary society the Inklings Humphrey CarpenterBornHumphrey William Bouverie Carpenter 1946 04 29 29 April 1946Oxford EnglandDied4 January 2005 2005 01 04 aged 58 Oxford EnglandOccupationWriter biographer and broadcasterAlma materKeble College OxfordNotable worksJ R R Tolkien A Biography Mr Majeika Contents 1 Early life 2 Broadcasting 3 Jazz music and children s drama 4 Children s books 5 Non fiction works 6 Death 7 Selected list of works 8 References 9 External linksEarly life editCarpenter was born and lived almost all of his life and died in the city of Oxford England His father was Harry Carpenter Bishop of Oxford His mother was Urith Monica Trevelyan who had training in the Frobel teaching method 1 As a child he lived in the Warden s Lodgings at Keble College Oxford where his father served as warden until his appointment as Bishop of Oxford He was educated at the Dragon School Oxford and Marlborough College He returned to Oxford to read English at Keble College citation needed Broadcasting editCarpenter began his broadcasting career at BBC Radio Oxford as a presenter and producer where he met Mari Prichard whose father was Caradog Prichard the Welsh novelist and poet they married in 1973 1 2 They jointly produced A Thames Companion in 1975 He played a role in launching Radio 3 s arts discussion programme Night Waves and acted as a regular presenter of other programmes on the network including Radio 3 s afternoon drivetime programme In Tune and until it was discontinued its Sunday request programme Listeners Choice Until his death he presented the BBC Radio 4 biography series Great Lives recorded in Bristol The last edition recorded before his death featured an interview with the singer Eddi Reader about the poet Robert Burns the major focus of her creative work BBC Radio 4 broadcast this programme on New Year s Eve 2004 Jazz music and children s drama editCarpenter was an amateur jazz musician who played the piano the saxophone and the double bass the last instrument professionally in a dance band in the 1970s In 1983 he formed a 1930s style jazz band Vile Bodies which for many years enjoyed a residency at the Ritz Hotel in London He also founded the Mushy Pea Theatre Group a children s drama group based in Oxford which premiered his Mr Majeika The Musical in 1991 and Babes a musical about Hollywood child stars Children s books editHis Mr Majeika series of children s books were adapted for television The Joshers Or London to Birmingham with Albert and Victoria 1977 is a children s adventure book similar in style to The Railway Children and based on the adventure of taking a working narrowboat up the Grand Union Canal from London to Birmingham Non fiction works editHis biographies included J R R Tolkien A Biography 1977 also editing of The Letters of J R R Tolkien The Inklings CS Lewis JRR Tolkien Charles Williams and their Friends 1978 winner of the 1978 Somerset Maugham Award W H Auden 1981 Ezra Pound 1988 winner of the Duff Cooper Memorial Prize Evelyn Waugh 1989 Benjamin Britten 1992 Robert Runcie 1997 Dennis Potter and Spike Milligan 2004 He also authored Geniuses Together American Writers in Paris in the 1920s 1987 and his last book The Seven Lives of John Murray 2008 about John Murray and the publishing house of Albemarle Street was published posthumously He also wrote histories of BBC Radio 3 on which he had regular stints as broadcaster the British satire boom of the 1960s Angry Young Men A Literary Comedy of the 1950s 2002 and a centennial history of the Oxford University Dramatic Society in 1985 His encyclopaedic work The Oxford Companion to Children s Literature 1984 written jointly with his wife Mari Prichard has become a standard reference source Death editHumphrey Carpenter died in 2005 of heart failure compounded by the Parkinson s disease from which he had suffered for several years He was buried in Wolvercote Cemetery in Oxford also the final resting place of J R R Tolkien 3 A commemorative stained glass window was installed in St Margaret s Institute Polstead Road honouring Carpenter s many accomplishments 2 Selected list of works editA Thames Companion with Mari Prichard Oxford Illustrated 1975 The Joshers or London to Birmingham with Albert and Victoria A Story of the Canals George Allen amp Unwin 1977 J R R Tolkien A Biography HarperCollins 1977 The Inklings C S Lewis J R R Tolkien Charles Williams and Their Friends George Allen amp Unwin 1978 Jesus Past Masters Series Oxford University Press 1980 W H Auden A Biography George Allen amp Unwin 1981 The Letters of J R R Tolkien editor George Allen amp Unwin 1981 The Oxford Companion to Children s Literature with Mari Prichard Oxford University Press 1984 O U D S A Centenary History of the Oxford University Dramatic Society Oxford University Press 1985 Secret Gardens A Study of the Golden Age of Children s Literature George Allen amp Unwin 1985 Geniuses Together American Writers in Paris in the 1920s Unwin Hyman 1987 A Serious Character Ezra Pound Faber amp Faber 1988 The Brideshead Generation Evelyn Waugh and His Friends Weidenfeld amp Nicolson 1989 Benjamin Britten A Biography Faber amp Faber 1992 Shakespeare Without the Boring Bits Viking Children s Books 1994 The Puffin Book of Classic Children s Stories Viking Children s Books 1996 Robert Runcie The Reluctant Archbishop Hodder amp Stoughton 1996 The Envy of the World Fifty Years of the BBC Third Programme and Radio 3 Weidenfeld amp Nicolson 1996 Dennis Potter The Authorized Biography Faber amp Faber 1998 That Was Satire That Was Beyond the Fringe the Establishment Club Private Eye and That Was the Week That Was Gollancz 2000 US edition A Great Silly Grin The British Satire Boom of the 1960s PublicAffairs 2002 The Angry Young Men A Literary Comedy of the 1950s Allen Lane 2002 Spike Milligan The Biography Hodder amp Stoughton 2003 The Seven Lives of John Murray The Story of a Publishing Dynasty John Murray 2008 References edit a b Walsh John 5 January 2005 Humphrey Carpenter The Independent Retrieved 10 October 2023 a b Kelly John 5 January 2005 Humphrey Carpenter A perceptive biographer and engaging broadcaster with a deep love of music and the imaginative world of the child The Guardian Retrieved 16 June 2008 Notable People Buried in Oxford Cemeteries PDF Oxford City Council Retrieved 27 March 2020 External links editGently mischievous broadcaster and prolific writer The Times 6 January 2005 Christopher Lehmann Haupt Humphrey Carpenter English biographer dies at 58 The New York Times 19 January 2005 Tributes Paid to Humphrey Carpenter BBC Radio Humphrey Carpenter at IMDb Finding aid to the Humphrey Carpenter papers at Columbia University Rare Book amp Manuscript Library Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Humphrey Carpenter amp oldid 1217194056, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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