Derek Brewer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Derek Brewer
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Derek Stanley Brewer
13 July 1923 Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
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| Died | 23 October 2008 (aged 85) Cambridge, England, United Kingdom
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| Education | Magdalen College, Oxford |
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Derek Stanley Brewer (born July 13, 1923 – died October 23, 2008) was a famous Welsh expert on the Middle Ages, a time long ago. He was also a writer, a publisher, and a university teacher.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Derek Brewer was born in Cardiff, Wales. His father worked for a company called General Electric. Derek went to Magdalen College, Oxford, a well-known university, to study English. One of his teachers there was the famous writer C. S. Lewis, who wrote The Chronicles of Narnia.
Serving His Country
During World War II, from 1942 to 1945, Derek Brewer served in the army. He was an officer in the infantry, first with the Worcestershire Regiment and then with the Royal Fusiliers. After the war ended, he went back to Oxford to finish his studies.
A Career in Academia
After university, Derek Brewer became a lecturer (a type of university teacher) at the University of Birmingham. He worked there for many years. In 1964, he moved to Cambridge and became a lecturer in English at Emmanuel College. Later, from 1977 to 1990, he became the Master of Emmanuel College, which is like being the head of the college.
Expert on Chaucer
Derek Brewer was one of the most respected experts on Chaucer, a very important English poet from the Middle Ages. Chaucer wrote The Canterbury Tales. Derek Brewer's book, Chaucer and His World (first published in 1978), was very special. It helped start a new way of writing about writers' lives and how they fit into their historical times.
Starting a Publishing Company
In 1972, Derek Brewer also started his own publishing company called D. S. Brewer. This company is now part of Boydell & Brewer. It became known for publishing important scholarly books that bigger publishers might have overlooked.
Later Life and Legacy
Derek Brewer passed away in Cambridge, England, in 2008. He was known for his great love of books and teaching. Many people remembered him for helping other academics, especially those studying the Middle Ages, get their work published. He was also known for encouraging female students, which was not very common in his field at the time. People always described him as polite and friendly.
