E. F. C. Ludowyk
Encyclopedia
Evelyn Frederick Charles Ludowyk (1906-1985) a Sri Lanka
n Burgher
Shakespearean scholar, author
, playwright
and critic
, was the first Professor
of English of the University of Ceylon
.
A member of a prominent Dutch Burgher family, Ludowyk studied at Richmond College
, Galle
and went up to Cambridge.
He joined the staff of University College, Colombo in 1932, becoming professor in 1936.
In 1940 he met and married Edith Gyömröi
.
When the University College was converted into the University of Ceylon, Ludowyk was appointed its first Professor of English in 1942. He was made the first Dean of Arts in the newly established University in Peradeniya
in 1952.http://www.arts.pdn.ac.lk/english/
In 1956, because the island's humid climate caused Edith problems, the couple moved to London
.http://pdfs.island.lk/2008/07/16/m4.pdf Later they settled in Colchester
.
Ludowyk died in Colchester in 1985.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
n Burgher
Burgher people
The Burghers are a Eurasian ethnic group, historically from Sri Lanka, consisting for the most part of male-line descendants of European colonists from the 16th to 20th centuries and local women, with some minorities of Swedish, Norwegian, French and Irish.Today the mother tongue of the Burghers...
Shakespearean scholar, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
and critic
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...
, was the first Professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of English of the University of Ceylon
University of Ceylon
The University of Ceylon was the only university in Sri Lanka from 1942 until 1972. It had several constituent campuses at various locations around Sri Lanka. The University of Ceylon Act No. 1 of 1972, replaced it with the University of Sri Lanka which existed from 1973 to 1978. In 1978 it was...
.
A member of a prominent Dutch Burgher family, Ludowyk studied at Richmond College
Richmond College
Richmond College is a primary and secondary school in Galle, Sri Lanka. The school was established in 1814 by Christian missionaries. Richmond College is now a well established institution with a reputation as one of the finest schools in Sri Lanka...
, Galle
Galle
Galle is a city situated on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka, 119 km from Colombo. Galle is the capital city of Southern Province of Sri Lanka and it lies in Galle District....
and went up to Cambridge.
He joined the staff of University College, Colombo in 1932, becoming professor in 1936.
In 1940 he met and married Edith Gyömröi
Edith Gyömrői Ludowyk
Edith Gyömrői Ludowyk was a Hungarian Jewish psychotherapist, poet and communist. She was one of the handful of European Radicals in Sri Lanka....
.
When the University College was converted into the University of Ceylon, Ludowyk was appointed its first Professor of English in 1942. He was made the first Dean of Arts in the newly established University in Peradeniya
University of Peradeniya
The University of Peradeniya is a world renowned state university in Sri Lanka, funded by the University Grants Commission...
in 1952.http://www.arts.pdn.ac.lk/english/
In 1956, because the island's humid climate caused Edith problems, the couple moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.http://pdfs.island.lk/2008/07/16/m4.pdf Later they settled in Colchester
Colchester
Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
.
Ludowyk died in Colchester in 1985.
Books
- The footprint of the Buddha (London, 1958)
- The story of Ceylon (London, 1962)
- Understanding Shakespeare (Cambridge, 1964)
- The modern history of Ceylon (London, 1966)
- A short history of Ceylon (London 1967)
- Those long afternoons: childhood in colonial Ceylon (Colombo, 1989)