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Andrew Sinclair
Andrew Sinclair in 2018
Andrew Sinclair in 2018
Born Andrew Annandale Sinclair
(1935-01-21)21 January 1935
Died 30 May 2019(2019-05-30) (aged 84)
Occupation Novelist, historian, biographer, critic, filmmaker

Andrew Annandale Sinclair (born January 21, 1935 – died May 30, 2019) was a talented British writer and filmmaker. He wrote many novels, history books, and biographies. He was also a film critic and helped publish movie scripts. People said he was a very productive writer, whether writing stories or history.

Early Life and Education

Andrew Sinclair was born in Oxford in 1935. He went to famous schools like Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge. At Cambridge, he studied history and earned advanced degrees. He also spent time studying at Harvard University in the United States.

Writer and Filmmaker

Before college, Andrew Sinclair served in the military. This experience inspired his first novel, The Breaking of Bumbo, published in 1958. This book made him famous at age 22. He wrote another novel, My Friend Judas, in 1959. Both books were reissued in 2009.

Sinclair also worked in film. In 1967, he became a managing director at Timon Films. He directed a movie based on his novel, The Breaking of Bumbo, in 1970. Later, he directed the film Under Milk Wood (1972), which is now considered a classic. His last film as a director was Blue Blood (1973).

His book The Better Half: The Emancipation of the American Woman won an award in 1967. He wrote biographies about many famous people. These included Che Guevara, Dylan Thomas, Jack London, and Francis Bacon. In 1972, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. His last book was his autobiography, Storytelling: A Sort of Memoir, published in 2018.

Historian and Teacher

Andrew Sinclair was a founding member of Churchill College, Cambridge. He was the Director of Historical Studies there from 1961 to 1963. After a year in the U.S., he returned to Britain. He taught American History at University College London (UCL) from 1965 to 1967. He wrote many books about American history and important figures.

Publishing Film Scripts

In 1966, Sinclair started a publishing company called Lorrimer Publishing. He co-founded it with filmmaker Peter Whitehead. This company published the original scripts of classic films. They published about 70 film scripts. These included famous movies like The Blue Angel and The Third Man.

Personal Life and Interests

Andrew Sinclair was married three times and had two sons. His first son was Timon Alexandre Sinclair. His second son was Merlin George Sinclair. Through his third marriage, he also became a stepfather.

In the 1960s, Andrew Sinclair helped save historic buildings. These buildings were located in Narrow Street, Limehouse.

Selected Filmography

  • The Breaking of Bumbo (1970). Director.
  • Under Milk Wood (1972). Director.
  • Blue Blood (1973). Director.
  • Malachi's Cove (1974). Producer.
  • Dylan on Dylan (2002, Timon Films).

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