Authors Last A Long Time, But....

[maryportfuncity 10,646]

Robert Maycock, big noise (heh heh) in classical music journalism and author of a significant book on Philip Glass in the eighties. Has died in a car crash.

[Phantom 2,533]

Robert Maycock, big noise (heh heh) in classical music journalism and author of a significant book on Philip Glass in the eighties. Has died in a car crash.

 

That's a bit of a bugger. It's Philip Glass' 75th today

 

BBC article says he died on the 25th

[msc 18,448]

Childrens SF author John Christopher has died aged 89.

 

Big favourite of mine as a kid. Best known for The Tripods series.

[DevonDeathTrip 2,358]

Childrens SF author John Christopher has died aged 89.

 

Big favourite of mine as a kid. Best known for The Tripods series.

 

Mine too. He wrote a few books for grown ups as well.

 

John Christopher's excellent post apocalyptic novel "The Death Of Grass", is the book of the week on Radio 4:

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk...our_drama.shtml

 

Doom, gloom and Radio 4, I couldn't be happier.

 

A long forgotten film based on the book is availible on You Tube, it also has a smallish early role from Wendy Richard as a manipulative tart......

 

John Christopher (real name Samuel Youd) is still alive, he'll be 87 this year and if he lives until April, he will become one of a rather select band of authors who have lived to see their work published as a Penguin Classic. John Updike was another. Actually, thinking about it, there might be quite a few others.

 

I still think we're all doomed, btw.

 

Here's a proper UK obit for Christopher/Youd. I wonder if anyone picked him for the DDP?

[themaninblack 2,112]

Childrens SF author John Christopher has died aged 89.

 

Big favourite of mine as a kid. Best known for The Tripods series.

 

Mine too. He wrote a few books for grown ups as well.

 

John Christopher's excellent post apocalyptic novel "The Death Of Grass", is the book of the week on Radio 4:

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk...our_drama.shtml

 

Doom, gloom and Radio 4, I couldn't be happier.

 

A long forgotten film based on the book is availible on You Tube, it also has a smallish early role from Wendy Richard as a manipulative tart......

 

John Christopher (real name Samuel Youd) is still alive, he'll be 87 this year and if he lives until April, he will become one of a rather select band of authors who have lived to see their work published as a Penguin Classic. John Updike was another. Actually, thinking about it, there might be quite a few others.

 

I still think we're all doomed, btw.

 

Here's a proper UK obit for Christopher/Youd. I wonder if anyone picked him for the DDP?

 

A Pelican in the Wilderness

[maryportfuncity 10,646]

In his forthcoming novel 77 year old Alan Garner is returning to the characters who peopled his celebrated Weirdstone/Moon of Gomrath novels, well known and read by children in the sixties and seventies. Bi-polar and old, though whether this current move is a parting shot or simply a continuation of his career isn't clear.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Garner#Novels

[maryportfuncity 10,646]

Read an interview with Jacqueline Wilson over the weekend in which she pointed out she's been treated for heart failure and kidney problems. She's 66, likely to last a while, but not into mega-old-age in that condition.

[harrymcnallysblueandwhitearmy 1,689]

Sad to report the death of a good friend of my mum's, the author Louise Cochrane, who packed a hell of a lot into her 93 years, but was probably most well-known for writing the stories for Rag, Tag and Bobtail, a BBC kids programme from before all of us, even Godot, were born. Amongst about a million other things, as the obit makes clear; the sort of person that makes me rather ashamed of my own pitiful efforts at enhancing the experience of my fellow man. Ahem, so far.

 

And no, I didn't pick her for any deadpools.

[DevonDeathTrip 2,358]

Sad to report the death of a good friend of my mum's, the author Louise Cochrane, who packed a hell of a lot into her 93 years, but was probably most well-known for writing the stories for Rag, Tag and Bobtail, a BBC kids programme from before all of us, even Godot, were born.

 

The venerable Dennis Skinner MP evidently remembers the books. He has often described the Lib/Con coalition as a "Rag, Tag and Bobtail Army". (See,

for example, where he uses the term twice in his savage mauling of David Laws)

[Godot 149]

Sad to report the death of a good friend of my mum's, the author Louise Cochrane, who packed a hell of a lot into her 93 years, but was probably most well-known for writing the stories for Rag, Tag and Bobtail, a BBC kids programme from before all of us, even Godot, were born. Amongst about a million other things, as the obit makes clear; the sort of person that makes me rather ashamed of my own pitiful efforts at enhancing the experience of my fellow man. Ahem, so far.

 

And no, I didn't pick her for any deadpools.

 

Harry you can always be relied on to post the important deaths. I never knew there were books DDT. I only ever saw the telly version which could be quite racy for a four-year-old. It taught me all my social skills. I don't think I'd ever heard swearing on TV until Tag turned round to Bobtail one day and told him to fuck right off. And that was many years before Bill Grundy.

[DevonDeathTrip 2,358]

Sad to report the death of a good friend of my mum's, the author Louise Cochrane, who packed a hell of a lot into her 93 years, but was probably most well-known for writing the stories for Rag, Tag and Bobtail, a BBC kids programme from before all of us, even Godot, were born. Amongst about a million other things, as the obit makes clear; the sort of person that makes me rather ashamed of my own pitiful efforts at enhancing the experience of my fellow man. Ahem, so far.

 

And no, I didn't pick her for any deadpools.

 

Harry you can always be relied on to post the important deaths. I never knew there were books DDT. I only ever saw the telly version which could be quite racy for a four-year-old. It taught me all my social skills. I don't think I'd ever heard swearing on TV until Tag turned round to Bobtail one day and told him to fuck right off. And that was many years before Bill Grundy.

 

Actually, reading Harry's post again, he is referring to the TV programme. I was muddled as this is the authors thread and I didn't imagine Dennis Skinner would have had a television in his early life.

[harrymcnallysblueandwhitearmy 1,689]

Always sad to report a Harry death. Harry Crews, kind of a poor man's Bukowski, dead at 76. The Gospel Singer was pretty good, as I remember, must give it another read. Maybe I'll give the Kim Gordon/Lydia Lunch band named after him a listen too. On second thoughts...

[VSBfromH 74]

John Arden

 

The playwright most famous for "Serjeant Musgrave's Dance" has died aged 81.

[harrymcnallysblueandwhitearmy 1,689]

Since reading this review last year I've been telling myself to read Pereira Maintains, and now that Antonio Tabucchi has died I'll make good on it. Authors are so much sexier when they're dead.

[Octopus of Odstock 2,195]

^{Dora Saint, mentioned in dispatches here frequently, has died, aged 98 - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/9198376/Dora-Saint.html}

[time 8,599]

The author of Douglas Adams' biography, "Wish You Were Here", Nick Webb, has died.

 

For those who haven't read it, I can recommend it.

[Paul Bearer 6,102]

Ernest Callenbach dies at 83. Wrote environmental novel 'Ecotopia'

[VSBfromH 74]

Anyone mentioned Michael Bond, author of Paddingon Bear, just turned 85...

 

Article in today's Telegraph. Looking hale and hearty at 86.

[maryportfuncity 10,646]

Yeah, short of a sudden heart attack or catching the wrong plane, Bond won't be a shoo in for ages yet. Some authors do last a long time.

[Bibliogryphon 9,581]

Yeah, short of a sudden heart attack or catching the wrong plane, Bond won't be a shoo in for ages yet. Some authors do last a long time.

 

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.

[Bibliogryphon 9,581]

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.

[DevonDeathTrip 2,358]

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.

 

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.

[Bibliogryphon 9,581]

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.

 

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.

[Spade_Cooley 9,525]

Grumpy children's author Maurice Sendak, the author of Where The Wild Things Are, might be worth a punt. He is now 83 and says he's been suffering from heart problems since the death of his partner a few years ago, as well as mentioning he wants to die a "yummy death".

 

 

Dunno how "yummy" complications emerging from a stroke are: Sendak is in the night kitchen at 83.

[angryGreatness 96]

A brief reading of Sendak's various obituaries revealed that Else Holmelund Minarik, the Danish-born author of the Little Bear series, which Sendak illustrated, is still around at the age of 91.

 

Can't find any health on her, but she's been retired since 1989 and might be a good idea for the DeathList next year.