Brian Sibley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Brian Sibley
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Sibley in 2014
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| Born | Brian David Sibley 14 July 1949 Wandsworth, London, England |
| Occupation | Writer and broadcaster |
| Education | Chislehurst Secondary School for Boys |
| Period | 1974–present |
| Notable works | BBC Radio adaptation of The Lord of the Rings |
| Notable awards | Sony Radio Award (1985) |
| Spouse | David Weeks |
| Relatives | Frank Sibley (uncle) |
Brian David Sibley, born on July 14, 1949, is a famous English writer. He has written many radio plays and documentaries. He is well-known for adapting The Lord of the Rings for radio in 1981. Brian Sibley also wrote many "making of" books for popular movies. These include books about the Harry Potter films and The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies.
Contents
Brian Sibley's Early Life
Brian Sibley was born in Wandsworth, London. His father, Eric George Sibley, was an architectural draughtsman. His mother was Doris Alice Sibley. His uncle, Frank Sibley, was a philosopher.
When Brian was five, his family moved to Chislehurst, Kent. He went to St Nicholas Church of England Primary School. Later, he attended Chislehurst Secondary School for Boys. There, he earned good grades in English and Art.
Brian first wanted to be an actor, cartoonist, or animator. He worked in offices for a while. But he also started sending scripts to the BBC. When his company was taken over, he decided to become a full-time writer.
Brian Sibley's Career
Brian Sibley has had a long and successful career. He is known for his work in radio and for writing many books.
Radio Writing and Broadcasting
Brian Sibley's first radio show was Three Cheers for Pooh. It was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on October 14, 1976. This show celebrated 50 years since the book Winnie-the-Pooh was published.
In 1981, he helped write the BBC Radio 4 radio version of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. He also adapted other famous books for radio. These include C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia and Mervyn Peake's Titus Groan and Gormenghast. He won a Sony Radio Award in 1985 for his plays based on Peake's books.
In 2011, he returned to Peake's stories with The History of Titus Groan. This was a series of six plays for BBC Radio 4. It won the BBC Audio Drama Award in 2012 for Best Adaptation.
Other major radio plays by Sibley include:
- John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress
- Tolkien's Tales from the Perilous Realm
- Roald Dahl's Danny, the Champion of the World
- Lucy M. Boston's The Children of Green Knowe
- Richard Adams's Watership Down (a two-part play in 2016)
- T H White's The Once and Future King
Brian Sibley also wrote original radio plays. He was a regular presenter for the BBC Radio 4 arts show Kaleidoscope. He also presented the Radio 4 film show Talking Pictures.
He has created many radio documentaries and features. These shows covered topics like Sherlock Holmes, Robin Hood, Dracula, Peter Pan, Winnie-the-Pooh, and Alice in Wonderland. He also made programs about the lives of famous people like Harry Houdini, Terry Pratchett, Roald Dahl, and Jim Henson.
In 1992, Brian Sibley wrote much of the script for Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of Spartacus.
Brian Sibley's Publications
Brian Sibley has written many books. Some of his well-known books include:
- The Disney Studio Story (with Richard Holliss)
- Mickey Mouse: His Life and Times (with Richard Holliss)
- The Land of Narnia
- Shadowlands: The True Story of C. S. Lewis and Joy Davidman
- The Thomas the Tank Engine Man, a biography of Wilbert Vere Awdry
- Cracking Animation: The Aardman book of 3-D Film-making (with Peter Lord)
- Chicken Run: Hatching the Movie
- Three Cheers for Pooh
- The Maps of Tolkien's Middle-earth (with artist John Howe)
He also wrote a children's book called The Frightful Food Feud. He edited books like The Pooh Sketchbook.
Brian Sibley wrote The Lord of the Rings: The Making of the Movie Trilogy. He also wrote the official biography of the films' director, Peter Jackson: A Filmmaker's Journey.
Other books he wrote include:
- The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies – The Official Movie Guide
- The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – The Official Movie Guide
- The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – The Official Movie Guide
- Harry Potter Film Wizardry
- The Golden Compass: The Official Illustrated Movie Companion
- Mary Poppins: Anything Can Happen if You Let It (with Michael Lassell)
In October 2016, he wrote a new story for a Winnie-the-Pooh 90th birthday collection called The Best Bear in All the World. His story introduced a new character, Penguin. This character was inspired by an old photo of A. A. Milne and his son, Christopher Robin, with a toy penguin.
His Christmas book, Joseph and the Three Gifts, was published in September 2019. It was later read on BBC Radio 4 in 2021. In 2021, his fable Osric the Extraordinary Owl was published. He is also editing a book of letters from Walt Disney.
Brian Sibley has provided audio commentaries for DVDs and Blu-rays of classic films. These include Around the World in 80 Days, Animal Farm, and Fantasia. He has also appeared in bonus features for Disney movies like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Mary Poppins.
In 2022, he edited J.R.R.Tolkien's The Fall of Númenor. This book won the Tolkien Society's 'Best Book of 2023' award.
Brian Sibley's Personal Life
Brian Sibley was the President of The Lewis Carroll Society from 2014 to 2024. He then became the Society's Chair. He is an honorary member of The Children's Books History Society. He is also an honorary member of The Magic Circle, where he was Chair of Council for several years. He is also an honorary member of the Tolkien Society. The Tolkien Society gave him an Outstanding Contribution Award in 2022.
Brian Sibley's Discography
CDs
- E. T. A. Hoffmann: The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. BBC Audio.
- C. S. Lewis: The Complete Chronicles of Narnia. BBC Audio.
- A. A. Milne: Enchanted Places: The Complete Fraser-Simson Settings of A. A. Milne. EM Records.
- Mervyn Peake and Maeve Gilmore: The History of Titus Groan. BBC Audio.
- J. R. R. Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings: The Collector's Edition. BBC Audio.
- J. R. R. Tolkien: Tales from the Perilous Realm. BBC Audio.
- P. L. Travers: Mary Poppins. BBC Audio.
- Jeff Wayne: Spartacus. Columbia.
DVDs
- 101 Dalmatians Platinum Edition (as interviewee).
- Animal Farm (1955) (as commentator).
- Around the World in Eighty Days (1957) (as commentator).
- The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story (as interviewee).
- Fantasia (1940) Platinum Edition (as commentator).
- Guerrilla Distribution (as cameo performer).
- The Jungle Book (1967) Platinum Edition (as interviewee).
- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring 2-Disc Theatrical Edition (as interviewee).
- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring 4-Disc Extended Edition (as interviewee).
- The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers 4-Disc Extended Edition (as interviewee).
- The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 4-Disc Extended Edition (as interviewee).
- Mary Poppins 2-Disc 40th Anniversary Special Edition (as interviewee).
- The Narnia Code (as interviewee).
- Pinocchio (1940) Platinum Edition (as interviewee).
- Ringers: Lord of the Fans (as contributor).
- Sleeping Beauty (1959) Platinum Edition (as interviewee).
- Wallace and Gromit: The Wrong Trousers (as co-screenwriter)
- Walt Disney Treasures: The Chronological Donald (as interviewee).
- Walt Disney Treasures: Dr Syn (as interviewee).
Blu-rays
- Alice in Wonderland (1951) 60th Anniversary Edition (as interviewee).
- Beauty and the Beast (1991) Diamond Edition (as interviewee).
- Fantasia (1940) 2-Movie Collection (as interviewee).
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) Diamond Edition (as interviewee).
See also
In Spanish: Brian Sibley para niños
