Melvyn Bragg facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Lord Bragg
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Official portrait, 2017
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| Born | 6 October 1939 Carlisle, Cumberland, England
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| Alma mater | Wadham College, Oxford |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1961–present |
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Notable work
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In Our Time |
| Television | The South Bank Show |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouse(s) |
Marie-Elisabeth Roche
(m. 1961; died 1971)Catherine Haste
(m. 1973; div. 2018)Gabriel Clare-Hunt
(m. 2019) |
| Children | 3; including Marie-Elsa |
Melvyn Bragg, Baron Bragg (born 6 October 1939) is a famous English broadcaster, writer, and a member of the House of Lords. He is well-known for hosting The South Bank Show on TV for many years. He also presents In Our Time, a popular discussion show on BBC Radio 4.
Earlier in his career, Melvyn Bragg worked in different roles at the BBC. In 1988, he started hosting Start the Week on BBC Radio 4. After he became a Lord in 1998, he began presenting In Our Time. This show discusses many academic topics. It has broadcast over a thousand episodes and is also available as a podcast. He was also the head of the University of Leeds from 1999 to 2017.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Melvyn Bragg was born on 6 October 1939 in Carlisle, England. His father, Stanley, was a mechanic, and his mother, Mary, was a tailor. His family had a history of working in farming and other jobs in Cumberland. His mother named him Melvyn after seeing the actor Melvyn Douglas at the cinema.
He grew up in the small town of Wigton. He went to Wigton primary school and later The Nelson Thomlinson School. He was an only child. His father was away serving in the Royal Air Force during the war. His childhood was typical of working-class families at that time.
From age 8 until he went to university, his family lived above a pub in Wigton. His father became the landlord of the Black-A-Moor Hotel. As a teenager, he was a Scout and played rugby for his school. A teacher encouraged him to study hard. This helped him get into university through the grammar school system. He studied Modern History at Oxford University in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
His Career in Broadcasting
Melvyn Bragg started his career at the BBC in 1961. He was one of only three people chosen for a special training program that year. He spent his first two years working in radio. He then joined the production team for Monitor, an arts TV series.
He presented the BBC books program Read All About It. He also edited this show from 1976 to 1977. Later, he presented The Lively Arts on BBC Two. From 1978 to 2010, he edited and presented The South Bank Show. This was a famous arts program on London Weekend Television (LWT). His interview with playwright Dennis Potter is still remembered as a powerful TV moment. He helped make arts more popular and less exclusive.
He was in charge of arts at LWT from 1982 to 1990. He then became Controller of Arts at LWT in 1990. He has made many programs for BBC Radio 4. These include Start the Week (1988–1998) and The Routes of English. His show In Our Time started in 1998 and is still running. In 2011, it broadcast its 500th program.
In 2012, he brought The South Bank Show back on Sky Arts 1. In 2013, he presented The Most Dangerous Man in Tudor England for the BBC. This program told the story of William Tyndale and his mission to translate the Bible into English. In 2012, he also presented Melvyn Bragg on Class and Culture on BBC2. This series looked at popular media and the British social class system. In 2015, he became a Vice President of the Royal Television Society.
Writing Books and Scripts
Melvyn Bragg decided to become a writer after university. He started writing short stories when he was 19. He knew writing might not pay the bills at first. So, he took a job at the BBC. While working there, he kept writing. He published his first novel in 1965. After that, he left the BBC to focus on writing full-time.
He has written many novels and non-fiction books. He also wrote screenplays for TV and films. Some of his early TV work was with director Ken Russell. He wrote The Debussy Film (1965) and Isadora Duncan, the Biggest Dancer in the World (1967). He also wrote the film The Music Lovers (1970) about Tchaikovsky. Most of his novels are about his own life. They are set in and around Wigton where he grew up. In 1972, he helped write the script for the film Jesus Christ Superstar (1973).
Even though he published several books, he found it hard to make a living only from writing. This led him to return to television in the mid-1970s. He also wrote columns for The Times newspaper from 1996 to 1998. He has also written for The Sunday Times, The Guardian, and The Observer.
Becoming a Lord
Melvyn Bragg is friends with former Labour Party leaders like Tony Blair. In 1997, he was one of many people who donated money to the Labour Party. The next year, in 1998, Tony Blair appointed him to the House of Lords. This is the upper house of the UK Parliament. He became a life peer called Baron Bragg, of Wigton in the County of Cumbria.
In the House of Lords, he focuses on arts and education. He has voted on many important issues. For example, he campaigned against the Hunting Act. He believed it could harm the livelihoods of farmers in Cumbria. In 2014, he signed a letter opposing Scottish independence.
His Views and Causes
Melvyn Bragg has often spoken about Christianity. He particularly admires the King James Bible. He describes himself as a "believing unbeliever." This means he finds faith interesting but doesn't fully believe in a godly eternity. In 2012, he criticized what he saw as the "anger and ignorance" in debates about atheism.
In 2016, he spoke out against the National Trust. He said their purchase of land in the Lake District was "disgraceful." He worried it could threaten the Herdwick sheep and the traditional farming system there. This farming system is important for the Lake District's status as a Unesco World Heritage site.
Personal Life and Interests
In 1961, Melvyn Bragg married his first wife, Marie-Elisabeth Roche. They had a daughter named Marie-Elsa Bragg in 1965. Marie-Elisabeth sadly passed away in 1971.
In 1973, he married Cate Haste. She was also a TV producer and writer. They had a son and a daughter together. In 2019, he married Gabriel Clare-Hunt. His eldest daughter, Marie-Elsa, who is a priest, led the wedding service. His other children also took part.
Melvyn Bragg has spoken about facing personal challenges in his life. He found ways to cope, like exploring the outdoors and working hard. He also mentioned that he has always felt nervous about public speaking since he was a young choirboy.
In 2015, a BBC Two program called Melvyn Bragg: Wigton to Westminster was made about him. He lives in Hampstead, London, but still owns a house near his hometown of Wigton. He enjoys football and supports both Carlisle United and Arsenal. He is also a relative of William Henry Bragg and Lawrence Bragg. They were famous scientists who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1915.
Important Roles and Groups
Melvyn Bragg has held many important positions:
- President of the Words by the Water literary festival.
- President of the National Campaign for the Arts (since 1986).
- Chairman of Border Television (1990–1996).
- Honorary Fellowship from Wadham College, Oxford (1995).
- Governor of the London School of Economics (since 1997).
- Peerage – Baron Bragg (since 1998).
- Chancellor of the University of Leeds (1999–2017).
- President of the charity MIND (2002).
- Honorary Fellowship of the British Academy (2010).
- Honorary Fellowship of Royal Society (2010).
- Honorary Fellowship from the University of Cumbria (2010).
- Honorary Doctorate of Literature (D.Litt.), University College London (2014).
- President of the National Academy of Writing.
- Vice President of the Friends of the British Library.
- Chairman of the Arts Council Literature Panel.
- Vice President of the Carlisle United Supporters Club London Branch.
- Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH) (2018).
Awards and Recognitions
Melvyn Bragg has received many awards for his work:
- Literary prizes
- Writers' Guild Screenplay Award (1966)
- Mail on Sunday/John Llewellyn Rhys Prize for Without a City Wall (1968)
- Time/Life Silver Pen Award for The Hired Man (1970)
- Northern Arts Association Prose Award (1970)
- WH Smith Literary Award for The Soldier's Return (2000)
- Crossing The Lines was long-listed for the Booker Prize in 2003
- Film & television awards
- Broadcasting Guild Award (1984)
- British Academy of Film and Television Arts Dimbleby Award (1986)
- BAFTA TV Award for An Interview with Dennis Potter (1995)
- BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award (2010)
- Best New Radio Series for Routes of English (2000)
- Royal Television Society Lifetime Achievement Award (2015)
- Sky Arts Awards Lifetime Achievement Award (2024)
- Other awards
- Ivor Novello Musical Award (1985)
- Honorary Degree from the Open University as Doctor of the University (1989)
- Namesake of Millom School Drama Studio (2005)
- The South Bank Show Lifetime Achievement Award (2010)
- Sandford St.Martin Trust Personal Award (2014)
