Humphrey Carpenter
Encyclopedia
Humphrey William Bouverie Carpenter (29 April 1946 – 4 January 2005) was an English
biographer, writer
, and radio
broadcaster
.
. His father was the Rt. Rev. Harry James Carpenter
. His mother was Urith Monica Trevelyan, who had training in the Fröbel teaching method. 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
, and then read English
at Keble. During his appointment at BBC Radio Oxford
, Humphrey met his future wife, Mari Prichard (whose father was Caradog Prichard
, the Welsh novelist and poet); they married in 1973.
His notable output of biographies
included: J. R. R. Tolkien
(1977) (also editing
of The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien
), The Inklings (1978), W. H. Auden
(1981), Ezra Pound
(1988), Evelyn Waugh
(1989), Benjamin Britten
(1992), Robert Runcie
(1997), and Spike Milligan
(2004). His last book, The Seven Lives of John Murray (2008) about John Murray
and the famous 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 Mr Majeika
series of children's books enjoyed considerable popularity and were successfully adapted for television
. The Joshers: Or London to Birmingham with Albert and Victoria by Humphrey Carpenter (ISBN 0048231428 Hardback, 1977) is a children's adventure book (similar in style to The Railway Children) based on the adventures of taking a working narrowboat up the Grand Union Canal from London to Birmingham. His encyclopedic work The Oxford Companion to Children's Literature (1984), written jointly with his wife, has become a standard reference source.
A distinguished broadcaster, he began his career at BBC Radio Oxford
as a presenter and producer
before moving to national radio. He played a vital role in launching Radio 3's ongoing 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 the time of 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 particular programme on New Year's Eve, 2004.
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
.
Carpenter's other abilities included being a talented amateur
jazz
musician
and an accomplished player of the piano
, the saxophone
, and the double-bass, playing the last instrument professionally in a dance band in the 1970s.
His early death was the result of heart failure, compounded by the Parkinson's disease
from which he had suffered for several years. A commemorative stained glass window has been installed in The St. Margaret's Institute, Polstead Road honouring Humphrey's many accomplishments.
He is survived by his wife, and daughters Clare and Kate.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
biographer, writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, and radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
broadcaster
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
.
Biography
Carpenter was born, died, and lived practically all of his life, in the city of OxfordOxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
. His father was the Rt. Rev. Harry James Carpenter
Harry James Carpenter
Harry James Carpenter was an English bishop and theologian. He was Warden of Keble College, Oxford and then 37th Bishop of Oxford ....
. His mother was Urith Monica Trevelyan, who had training in the Fröbel teaching method. As a child, he lived in the Warden's Lodgings at Keble College, Oxford
Keble College, Oxford
Keble College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its main buildings are on Parks Road, opposite the University Museum and the University Parks. The college is bordered to the north by Keble Road, to the south by Museum Road, and to the west by Blackhall...
, where his father served as Warden
Warden (college)
A warden is the head of some colleges and other educational institutions. This applies especially at some colleges and institutions at the University of Oxford:* All Souls College* Greyfriars* Keble College* Merton College* New College* Nuffield College...
until his appointment as Bishop of Oxford
Bishop of Oxford
The Bishop of Oxford is the diocesan bishop of the Church of England Diocese of Oxford in the Province of Canterbury; his seat is at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford...
. He was educated at the Dragon School
Dragon School
The Dragon School is a British coeducational, preparatory school in the city of Oxford, founded in 1877 as the Oxford Preparatory School, or OPS. It is primarily known as a boarding school, although it also takes day pupils...
Oxford, and Marlborough College
Marlborough College
Marlborough College is a British co-educational independent school for day and boarding pupils, located in Marlborough, Wiltshire.Founded in 1843 for the education of the sons of Church of England clergy, the school now accepts both boys and girls of all beliefs. Currently there are just over 800...
, and then read English
English studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
at Keble. During his appointment at BBC Radio Oxford
BBC Oxford
BBC Oxford is the name given to the sub-opt out region serving Oxford and the surrounding areas. Its services include:*BBC Oxford News, the local news service called BBC Oxford on screen...
, Humphrey met his future wife, Mari Prichard (whose father was Caradog Prichard
Caradog Prichard
Caradog Prichard was a Welsh poet and novelist writing in Welsh. His daughter, Mari Prichard, was married to the late Humphrey Carpenter....
, the Welsh novelist and poet); they married in 1973.
His notable output of biographies
Biography
A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
included: J. R. R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
(1977) (also editing
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
of The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien
The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien
The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien is a selection of J. R. R. Tolkien's letters published in 1981, edited by Tolkien's biographer Humphrey Carpenter assisted by Christopher Tolkien...
), The Inklings (1978), W. H. Auden
W. H. Auden
Wystan Hugh Auden , who published as W. H. Auden, was an Anglo-American poet,The first definition of "Anglo-American" in the OED is: "Of, belonging to, or involving both England and America." See also the definition "English in origin or birth, American by settlement or citizenship" in See also...
(1981), Ezra Pound
Ezra Pound
Ezra Weston Loomis Pound was an American expatriate poet and critic and a major figure in the early modernist movement in poetry...
(1988), Evelyn Waugh
Evelyn Waugh
Arthur Evelyn St. John Waugh , known as Evelyn Waugh, was an English writer of novels, travel books and biographies. He was also a prolific journalist and reviewer...
(1989), Benjamin Britten
Benjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to...
(1992), Robert Runcie
Robert Runcie
Robert Alexander Kennedy Runcie, Baron Runcie, PC, MC was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1980 to 1991.-Early life:...
(1997), and Spike Milligan
Spike Milligan
Terence Alan Patrick Seán "Spike" Milligan Hon. KBE was a comedian, writer, musician, poet, playwright, soldier and actor. His early life was spent in India, where he was born, but the majority of his working life was spent in the United Kingdom. He became an Irish citizen in 1962 after the...
(2004). His last book, The Seven Lives of John Murray (2008) about John Murray
John Murray (publisher)
John Murray is an English publisher, renowned for the authors it has published in its history, including Jane Austen, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Lord Byron, Charles Lyell, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Herman Melville, and Charles Darwin...
and the famous publishing house of Albemarle Street, was published posthumously.
He also wrote histories of BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3 is a national radio station operated by the BBC within the United Kingdom. Its output centres on classical music and opera, but jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also feature. The station is the world’s most significant commissioner of new music, and its New Generation...
(on which he had regular stints as broadcaster), the British satire
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
boom of the 1960s, Angry Young Men: A Literary Comedy of the 1950s (2002), and a centennial history of the Oxford University Dramatic Society
Oxford University Dramatic Society
The Oxford University Dramatic Society is the principal funding body and provider of theatrical services to the many independent student productions put on by students in Oxford, England...
in 1985. His Mr Majeika
Mr Majeika
Mr Majeika is the title of a series of children's books, written by Humphrey Carpenter, and also a children's television series starring Stanley Baxter. The stories have also been broadcast on radio...
series of children's books enjoyed considerable popularity and were successfully adapted for television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
. The Joshers: Or London to Birmingham with Albert and Victoria by Humphrey Carpenter (ISBN 0048231428 Hardback, 1977) is a children's adventure book (similar in style to The Railway Children) based on the adventures of taking a working narrowboat up the Grand Union Canal from London to Birmingham. His encyclopedic work The Oxford Companion to Children's Literature (1984), written jointly with his wife, has become a standard reference source.
A distinguished broadcaster, he began his career at BBC Radio Oxford
BBC Oxford
BBC Oxford is the name given to the sub-opt out region serving Oxford and the surrounding areas. Its services include:*BBC Oxford News, the local news service called BBC Oxford on screen...
as a presenter and producer
Radio producer
A radio producer oversees the making of a radio show. There are two main types of producer. An audio or creative producer and a content producer. Audio producers create sounds and audio specifically, content producers oversee and orchestrate a radio show or feature...
before moving to national radio. He played a vital role in launching Radio 3's ongoing 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
In Tune
In Tune is a 1914 American silent short drama film directed by Henry Otto starring Charlotte Burton, Ed Coxen, George Field, and Winifred Greenwood....
and, until it was discontinued, its Sunday request programme Listeners' Choice. Until the time of his death, he presented the BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
biography series Great Lives
Great Lives
Great Lives is a BBC Radio 4 biography series, produced in Bristol. It is presented by Matthew Parris. A distinguished guest is asked to nominate the person they feel is truly deserving of the title "Great Life". Matthew and a recognised expert are on hand to discuss the life...
recorded in Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
. The last edition recorded before his death featured an interview
Interview
An interview is a conversation between two people where questions are asked by the interviewer to obtain information from the interviewee.- Interview as a Method for Qualitative Research:"Definition" -...
with the singer Eddi Reader
Eddi Reader
Eddi Reader MBE is a Scottish singer-songwriter, known both for her work with Fairground Attraction and for an enduring solo career. She is the recipient of three BRIT Awards and has topped both the album and singles charts...
about the poet Robert Burns
Robert Burns
Robert Burns was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide...
, the major focus of her creative work. BBC Radio 4 broadcast this particular programme on New Year's Eve, 2004.
In 1983, he formed a 1930s style jazz band
Jazz band
A jazz band is a musical ensemble that plays jazz music. Jazz bands usually consist of a rhythm section and a horn section, in the early days often trumpet, trombone, and clarinet with rhythm section of piano, banjo, bass or tuba, and drums.-Eras:SwingDuring the swing era in the mid-twentieth...
, Vile Bodies, which for many years enjoyed a residency at the Ritz Hotel
Ritz Hotel
The Ritz London is a luxury 5-star hotel located in Piccadilly and overlooking Green Park in London.- History :Swiss hotelier César Ritz, former manager of the Savoy Hotel, opened the hotel on 24 May 1906...
in 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...
.
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
Child actor
The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting in motion pictures or television, but also to an adult who began his or her acting career as a child; to avoid confusion, the latter is also called a former child actor...
.
Carpenter's other abilities included being a talented amateur
Amateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and an accomplished player of the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, the saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, and the double-bass, playing the last instrument professionally in a dance band in the 1970s.
His early death was the result of heart failure, compounded by the Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
from which he had suffered for several years. A commemorative stained glass window has been installed in The St. Margaret's Institute, Polstead Road honouring Humphrey's many accomplishments.
He is survived by his wife, and daughters Clare and Kate.
External links
- A perceptive biographer and engaging broadcaster, The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, 5 January 2005 - Gently mischievous broadcaster and prolific writer, The TimesThe TimesThe Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, 6 January 2005 - Humphrey Carpenter, English biographer, dies at 58, New York Times, 19 January 2005
- Tributes Paid to Humphrey Carpenter BBC Radio