Malcolm Bradbury

September 7th, 2012

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On this date in 1932, Malcolm Bradbury, later knighted, was born in Sheffield, England. He earned a degree in English from University College at Leicester in 1953, a Master of Arts in English Literature from Queen Mary College in 1955, and a Ph.D. in American Studies at the University of Manchester in 1962. He finished his first novel, Eating People is Wrong, while recovering from major heart surgery. The book was published in 1958. Bradbury has since published five more novels, including The History Man (1975), which was made into a BBC television series in 1981.

Bradbury helped found the influential Creative Writing M.A. course at the University of East Anglia in 1970 – Ian McEwan was the first student – and was a professor of American Studies. He wrote over 50 scripts for television shows, screenplays and radio dramas, including the crime series “A Touch of Frost” (1992–1999) and television series “Anything More Would Be Greedy” (1989). Bradbury married Elizabeth Bradbury in 1959, and the couple had two children, Dominic and Matthew. Bradbury was knighted in 2000 for his services to literature. D. 2000

“Malcolm is an agnostic and didn't want to be married in church."

— Bradbury’s wife, Elizabeth, in an interview with The Independent on April 9, 1995.

Compiled by Sabrina Gaylor -  www.ffrf.org