Katharine Whitehorn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Katharine Whitehorn
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Katharine Elizabeth Whitehorn
2 March 1928 |
| Died | 8 January 2021 (aged 92) London, England
|
| Alma mater | Newnham College, Cambridge |
| Occupation | Columnist, author |
| Years active | 1956–2017 |
| Known for | First female rector of a Scottish university |
| Spouse(s) |
Gavin Lyall
(m. 1958; died 2003) |
| Children | 2 |
Katharine Elizabeth Whitehorn (born March 2, 1928 – died January 8, 2021) was a famous British journalist and writer. She also presented shows on the radio. Katharine was known for being the first woman to write a regular column for The Observer newspaper. Her column ran for many years, from 1963 to 1996, and again from 2011 to 2017.
She also made history as the first female rector of a university in Scotland. A rector is like a student representative and a leader in a university. One of her most famous books is Cooking in a Bedsitter, published in 1961.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Katharine Whitehorn was born in Hendon, England, on March 2, 1928. Her family had strong beliefs about fairness and equality. Her father was a conscientious objector, meaning he refused to fight in wars because of his beliefs. Her mother was also very smart and had the chance to study at the University of Cambridge.
Katharine went to private schools, including Roedean School and Glasgow High School for Girls. After high school, she studied English at Newnham College, Cambridge. After finishing college, she worked as a freelance writer in London. She also taught English in Finland and continued her studies at Cornell University in the United States.
Katharine's Career
Starting in Journalism
Katharine Whitehorn began her career writing about fashion. In 1956, she worked as an editor for Woman's Own magazine. A photographer named Bert Hardy asked her to model for him. He took pictures of her for a story about feeling lonely in London. One photo of her sitting by a fire even became an advertisement for the energy drink Lucozade!
Thanks to Bert Hardy, she got a job writing for Picture Post magazine. Her future husband, Gavin Lyall, also worked there. After Picture Post closed in 1957, she wrote for other magazines like The Spectator.
Writing for The Observer
In 1960, Katharine joined The Observer newspaper as their fashion editor. She soon became a regular columnist in 1963. This was a big deal because she was the first woman to have her own column in that newspaper. Her column was very popular with readers. She wrote it until 1996, often working from home, which was quite unusual back then.
From 1997 to 2016, she also wrote an "agony aunt" column for Saga Magazine, where she gave advice to readers. Her column in The Observer magazine was brought back in 2011 and continued until 2017.
Books and Broadcasting
Katharine's first book, Cooking in a Bedsitter, came out in 1961. It was a guide for people living in small apartments with limited cooking space. This book was very popular and stayed in print for 35 years! She also wrote a series of "How to Survive..." books, like Social Survival (1968). In 2007, she published her autobiography, Selective Memory, which told her life story.
Her writing was known for being honest, smart, and often funny. She was seen as a strong voice for women, showing the funny and sometimes messy parts of everyday life. In 2009, Katharine started presenting a short philosophy program on BBC Radio 4 called A Point of View.
Important Roles and Committees
Besides her writing, Katharine Whitehorn was part of several important groups. From 1965 to 1967, she was on a committee that looked at changing the legal age of adulthood in the UK from 21 to 18. She helped make the committee's report easy to understand. Their suggestion was accepted, and the law changed in 1969. She also advised the BBC on how television affected society.
From 1982 to 1985, Katharine was the Rector of the University of St Andrews in Scotland. She was the first woman to hold this important position at a Scottish university. To honor her, a building at St Andrews was named Whitehorn Hall. She also worked with the Patients Association, a group that helps people understand their rights as patients.
Personal Life and Awards
Katharine Whitehorn married Gavin Lyall, a writer of spy novels, in 1958. They had two sons, Bernard and Jake. When her husband passed away in 2003, she found it very difficult. She wrote about how you learn to live in a "new country" after losing someone you love.
In 2004, the National Portrait Gallery, London bought three pictures of Katharine taken by photographer J.S. Lewinksi. In 2014, she was given the honor of Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for her work in journalism. This was about 50 years after she had first turned down a similar award!
Later in her life, it was reported that she was living in a care home and had Alzheimer's disease. Her writing desk was sold to raise money for a charity that helps people with dementia. Katharine Whitehorn passed away on January 8, 2021, at the age of 92. She had been diagnosed with COVID-19 before her death, but it's not known if that was the main cause.
See also
In Spanish: Katharine Whitehorn para niños
