D. J. Taylor
Encyclopedia
David John Taylor is a British critic
, novelist and biographer. After attending school in Norwich, he read Modern History
at St John's College
, Oxford
, and has received the 2003 Whitbread Biography Award
for his biography of George Orwell
. His novel Derby Day was longlisted for the 2011 Man Booker Prize
. Previously a member of Norwich Writers' Circle
.
He lives in Norwich
and contributes to The Daily Telegraph
, The Guardian
, The Independent
, New Statesman
, The Spectator
, Private Eye
and Literary Review
among other publications.
Critic
A critic is anyone who expresses a value judgement. Informally, criticism is a common aspect of all human expression and need not necessarily imply skilled or accurate expressions of judgement. Critical judgements, good or bad, may be positive , negative , or balanced...
, novelist and biographer. After attending school in Norwich, he read Modern History
Modern history
Modern history, or the modern era, describes the historical timeline after the Middle Ages. Modern history can be further broken down into the early modern period and the late modern period after the French Revolution and the Industrial Revolution...
at St John's College
St John's College, Oxford
__FORCETOC__St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, one of the larger Oxford colleges with approximately 390 undergraduates, 200 postgraduates and over 100 academic staff. It was founded by Sir Thomas White, a merchant, in 1555, whose heart is buried in the chapel of...
, Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, and has received the 2003 Whitbread Biography Award
2003 Whitbread Awards
-Children's Book:Winner:*David Almond, The Fire-EatersShortlist:*Catherine Fisher, The Oracle*Michael Morpurgo, Private Peaceful*Jeanne Willis, Naked Without a Hat-First Novel:Winner:*DBC Pierre, Vernon God LittleShortlist:...
for his biography of George Orwell
George Orwell
Eric Arthur Blair , better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English author and journalist...
. His novel Derby Day was longlisted for the 2011 Man Booker Prize
Man Booker Prize
The Man Booker Prize for Fiction is a literary prize awarded each year for the best original full-length novel, written in the English language, by a citizen of the Commonwealth of Nations, Ireland, or Zimbabwe. The winner of the Man Booker Prize is generally assured of international renown and...
. Previously a member of Norwich Writers' Circle
Norwich Writers' Circle
Norwich Writers' Circle was established in 1943 in Norwich, England, by local group of writers. Its aim is to promote the craft of writing and to create a fellowship amongst writers, locally and nationally....
.
He lives in Norwich
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
and contributes to The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
, The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, New Statesman
New Statesman
New Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
, The Spectator
The Spectator
The Spectator is a weekly British magazine first published on 6 July 1828. It is currently owned by David and Frederick Barclay, who also owns The Daily Telegraph. Its principal subject areas are politics and culture...
, Private Eye
Private Eye
Private Eye is a fortnightly British satirical and current affairs magazine, edited by Ian Hislop.Since its first publication in 1961, Private Eye has been a prominent critic and lampooner of public figures and entities that it deemed guilty of any of the sins of incompetence, inefficiency,...
and Literary Review
Literary Review
Literary Review is a British literary magazine founded in 1979 by Anne Smith, then head of the Department of English at Edinburgh University. Its offices are currently on Lexington Street in Soho, London, and it has a circulation of 44,750. Britain's principal literary monthly, the magazine was...
among other publications.
Works
- Great Eastern Land: from the notebooks of David Castell (1986) novel
- A Vain Conceit: British Fiction in the 1980s (1989)
- Other People: Portraits From The 90's (1990) with Marcus BerkmannMarcus Berkmann-Life:Educated at Highgate School and Worcester College, Oxford, he began his career as a freelance journalist, contributing to computer and gaming magazines...
- Real Life (1992) novel
- After the War: The Novel and England since 1945 (1993)
- English Settlement (1996) novel
- After Bathing at Baxter’s (1997) short stories
- Trespass (1998) novel
- Thackeray (1999) biography
- The Comedy Man (2002) novel
- Pretext 6: Punk of Me (2002) guest editor
- Orwell (2003) biography
- Kept (2006) novel
- On The Corinthian Spirit: The Decline of Amateurism In Sport (2006)
- Bright Young People: The Rise and Fall of a Generation 1918-1940 (2007)
- Ask Alice (2009) novel
- At the Chime of a City Clock (2010) novel
- Derby Day (2011) novel
Prizes and honours
- 2011 - Longlisted for the Man Booker PrizeMan Booker PrizeThe Man Booker Prize for Fiction is a literary prize awarded each year for the best original full-length novel, written in the English language, by a citizen of the Commonwealth of Nations, Ireland, or Zimbabwe. The winner of the Man Booker Prize is generally assured of international renown and...
, for his novel Derby Day .