Bibliogryphon

DeathList royalty cheque (in Drachmas) in the post to Bibliogryphon for that catchy reworking being used on the main page - Cheers I am honoured and humbled at the same time

Peter Ackroyd (b. 1949) was on Desert Island Discs on Sunday (repeated on Friday at 9am) in which he revealed that after completing his book London:A Biography he suffered a massive heart attack and his mother was told he had a 50:50 chance of survival. He also revealed that he smuggled a bottle of wine into his hospital room whilst recovering and didn't beleive in giving things up. This is now several years behind him but he should be on the radar.

So sad and so sudden. Tuned my ipod to Donna Summer on Thursday night and enjoyed.

Ray Bradbury for me! No reason just feels right.

I hope no-one will ask Barry "How deep is your Bruv?"

Does anybosy know exactly how old Rusty Lee is? She is one of a few people who I cannot reliably find a date of birth for. I have pencilled in 1955 but not from any reliable source or Wiki. I think she would be worthy of adding to a theme team of chefs or loud annoying people.

Roy Dotrice (father to oooh Betty Michelle) will be 90 next year but he is said to be appearing in the Game of Thrones mini series

I did! Three even, and in English: Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children, Ian McEwan's Amsterdam and Yann Martel's Life of Pi. The last two I remember as a good read. regards, Hein To be fair my wife has read Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantell and says it is a cracking read so I will probably get round to that soon.

Its time for another list of people who still breathe: Booker Prize Winners 1971-2001 Author (Year of Birth) V S Naipaul (1932) John Berger (1926) Nadine Gordimer (1923) Ruth Prawer Jhabval (1927) David Storey (1933) Salman Rushdie (1947) Thomas Keneally (1935) J M Coetzee (1940) Anita Brookner (1928) Keri Hume (1947) Penelope Lively (1933) Peter Carey (1943) Kazuo Ishiguro (1954) A S Byatt (1936) Ben Okri (1959) Michael Ondaatje (1943) Barry Unsworth (1930) Roddy Doyle (1958) James Kelman (1946) Pat Barker (1943) Graham Swift (1949) Arundhati Roy (1961) Ian McEwan (1948) Margaret Atwood (1939) I have omitted the deceased winners such as Kingsley Amis & William Golding I don't have any specific health information but apart from those that are well into their eighties I would perhaps begin thinking about James Kelman if only because of the obvious gift if he does go (How late he was, how late). All of them will be obit worthy (especially on Radio 4) Don't be fooled I have never read a Booker Prize winning novel

We have been running for 5 years and now have thirty players. As we have less than 200 people in the organisation that is a pretty good proportion and there are significant number of others who only didn't play cause they were too lazy to fill in the form.

OK we have evidence every Saturday & Sunday night that Tom is not close to death but has he actually name dropped anyone who is still alive. On Saturday he compared a young girl to Janis Joplin and suprisingly she didn't deck him. If he name drops a living person they should automatically go on the list!

Hi Bibliogryphon here, I have been visiting as a guest for several years and did occasionally post as a Guest but managed to persuede my IT manager at work that the site should not be categorised as offensive material and thereby blocked. So I have registered. Unfortunately it was too late to join the competitions for 2012 but I am looking forward to 2013. I run a Deadpool for some colleagues and found that this is THE best source of data and ideas so keep up the good work.

The DL, to which Eddie confesses to be "strangely drawn", gets a paragraph in a page-long meditation on the ups and downs of celebrity death. He's a bit concerned at 2010's current poor performance, but I'd say that, on the whole, he's a fan. I wonder if he's an active member or just a lurking guest. And no, I don't (and didn't) buy the Radio Times. Thanks, WH Smith. I shall make the effort to go to WH Smiths today to read (not buy) the RT. I like Eddie, he's a breath of fresh air on PM on Radio4 in the evening, and I enjoy my drive home with his news programme. For those who are unfamiliar with said personage: Radio 4, IMO, is the natural station of choice for discerning Deathlisters. As well as Eddie they offer us a host of programming that seems just made for people who obsess about Celebrity (in its widest and purist form) Death. Obviously there is their weekly round up of stiffs in The Last Word (Sunday 8.30pm repeated Friday 4pm) but there are also a host of programmes that might inspire new entries to the list and the best of these is probably The Reunion with Sue McGregor who collects people together who have an insight into a major political or social event and naturally enought many of these are extremely elderly. There is also the entire cast of the Archers (think Last of the Summer Wine only less movement) and anyone who is a guest on Desert Island Discs must be a candidate.

Thanks for posting that Bibliogryphon. I remember as a small child having a book about a vintage car, found in a sorry state in a scrapyard and then lovingly restored to it's former glory. Is this Gumdrop? I'd forgotten the title of the book, which is a shame as I wanted to buy it for my own children and to read it again myself. Sounds like Gumdrop. There are a whole load of books and collections. I remember being taken to the library and if I found a new Gumdrop book it was a good trip. Val Biro was also the illustrator. I was astonished to find he was still alive and active. http://www.vintage-austin.co.uk/gumdrop.html My own daughter enjoyed one of his books called Drango Dragon about a dog that was turned into a dragon.

Another one that I have on my data base - Val Biro, author of the Gumdrop books born 1921 but apparently he and Gumdrop (a vintage car) are still regular attendees at vintage car rallies.

Yeh particularly children's authors here are a few more who have reached a grand old age. Shirley Hughes who wrote the Alfie books born 1927 Nicolas Fisk (aka David Higgenbottom) author of Kids sci-fi books like Grinny, Trillions and Starstormers born 1923 Eric Carle (The Very Hungry Caterpillar) born 1929 No health information about any of these but just by age alone they are worthy of consideration.

Sorry I can't resist it!!! Are you suggesting in the near future he will be actively decomposing I can hear the rotton tomatoes hitting the screen

This appeared in a newspaper this week (I would like to point out that I did not buy it - somebody gave it to me for lining animal cages but I saw this story and thought it was worth posting) This guy is so awesome there is not a trace of bitterness in the article. He still sounds sharp but the body is giving up. When he goes he will be missed. http://www.express.co.uk/features/view/314889/At-115-730-F-in-the-shade-I-still-needed-a-hot-water-bottle

Someone may not have a sound grasp of the workings of the International War Crimes Court He may get a very stern talking to

Margaet Moran former Luton South MP is apparently unfit to stand trial for fraud relating to her expenses http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-17866333 If she goes this would be national news! Evil journos hounding poor defenceless corrupt official to death. That includes you Esther!

Thanks for this Yongle He is on a draft list of about 40 names I have pencilled in to research for possible inclusion on my reserve 400 list for 2013!

Dinner with Michael Gove Suddenly death would seem appealing.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-17665260 PETA have the answer to Robin's miraculous survival. It is his veganism!! (I have previously posted it elsewhere but it deserves wider appreciation)

I don't think so. I think he will want to hang around in prison being a reminder to the whole nation. Suicide I don't think will fit in with his narrative. However, being attacked and killed by another inmate probably would. This is such a hard situation for the Norwegian authorities.

I am going for 28 April (Saturday). Around about lunchtime. This will give everyone something to put in the Sunday papers and get the CDs into the shops for Monday morning