Peter Ackroyd facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Peter Ackroyd CBE FRSL
Ackroyd in 2007
Born	(1949-10-05) 5 October 1949 (age 75) East Acton, London, England, United Kingdom
Occupation	Author, critic
Nationality	British
Alma mater	Clare College, Cambridge (BA)
Period	1976–present
Genre	Biography drama essays fiction literary criticism non-fiction poetry short stories
Subject	London and its inhabitants; English history and culture
Partner	Brian Kuhn (1980; died 1994)

Peter Ackroyd (born 5 October 1949) is an English writer known for his novels, biographies, and non-fiction books. He is especially interested in the history and culture of London.

Ackroyd has written award-winning books about English history and famous people. These include biographies of William Blake, Charles Dickens, T. S. Eliot, Charlie Chaplin, and Sir Thomas More. He has won the Somerset Maugham Award and two Whitbread Awards. People admire his detailed research and his ability to write in many different styles.

In 1984, he was chosen to be a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. In 2003, he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his work in literature.

Early Life and Schooling

Peter Ackroyd was born in London. He grew up on a council estate in East Acton. He was raised in a strict Roman Catholic home by his mother and grandmother.

He attended St. Benedict's School in Ealing. Later, he went to Clare College, Cambridge, where he studied English literature. He did so well that he graduated with a "double first", which is the highest possible honor. In 1972, he received a special fellowship to study at Yale University in the United States.

Writing Career

First Steps as a Writer

While at Yale, Ackroyd wrote his first book, Notes for a New Culture, which was published in 1976. The title was a nod to a famous work by the poet T. S. Eliot, showing Ackroyd's early interest in London's writers.

From 1973 to 1982, he worked for The Spectator magazine, first as a literary editor and later as a managing editor. He also reviewed books for The Times newspaper and often appeared on the radio.

Ackroyd started his career by writing poetry. His poetry books include London Lickpenny (1973) and The Diversions of Purley (1987).

Exploring History in Novels

In 1982, Ackroyd published his first novel, The Great Fire of London. It was a new take on the famous novel Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens. This book set the stage for many of his future novels, which often explore the connection between different time periods and places.

Many of his novels mix historical settings with modern-day stories. For example, his books The Great Fire of London, Hawksmoor, and The House of Doctor Dee all do this. Ackroyd is fascinated by London and how it changes over time but also stays the same. He often explores this idea through the city's famous artists and writers.

Some of his novels are written from the point of view of historical figures:

• The Last Testament of Oscar Wilde (1983) is written as if it were an autobiography by Oscar Wilde.
• Hawksmoor (1985) is about the architects Nicholas Hawksmoor, Sir Christopher Wren, and Sir John Vanbrugh.
• Chatterton (1987) features the poets Thomas Chatterton and George Meredith.
• The House of Dr Dee (1993) is about the famous scholar John Dee.
• Milton in America (1996) imagines the poet John Milton's life in the New World.

His novel Hawksmoor won two major awards: the Whitbread Novel Award and the Guardian Fiction Prize.

Biographies and Non-Fiction

Ackroyd is also a famous biographer. He has written books about the lives of many important people, including:

• Ezra Pound (1980)
• T. S. Eliot (1984)
• Charles Dickens (1990)
• William Blake (1995)
• Thomas More (1998)
• Geoffrey Chaucer (2004)
• William Shakespeare (2005)
• J. M. W. Turner (2006)

His book London: The Biography (2000) is a huge and detailed history of the city from ancient times to the present day. He followed this with Albion: The Origins of the English Imagination (2002) and Thames: Sacred River (2007). In these books, he explores how places can hold onto a special spirit or feeling through time.

In a 2012 interview, Ackroyd said he believed William Blake was "the most powerful and most significant philosopher or thinker in the course of English history."

Books for Young Readers

Between 2003 and 2005, Ackroyd wrote a six-book non-fiction series for children called Voyages Through Time. It was his first work for young readers and tells the story of important moments in world history. The Sunday Times praised the series, calling the books "unfolding feasts that leave you with a sense of wonder."

Selected Works

Ackroyd has written many books. Here are some of his most well-known works.

Fiction

• 1982 The Great Fire of London
• 1983 The Last Testament of Oscar Wilde
• 1985 Hawksmoor
• 1987 Chatterton
• 1993 The House of Doctor Dee
• 1994 Dan Leno and the Limehouse Golem
• 1996 Milton in America
• 2003 The Clerkenwell Tales
• 2004 The Lambs of London
• 2009 The Canterbury Tales – A Retelling

Non-fiction

• 1984 T. S. Eliot
• 1990 Dickens
• 1995 Blake
• 1998 The Life of Thomas More
• 2000 London: The Biography
• 2002 Albion: The Origins of the English Imagination
• 2004 Chaucer
• 2005 Shakespeare: The Biography
• 2006 J.M.W. Turner
• 2007 Thames: Sacred River
• 2011 London Under
• 2011 The History of England, v.1 Foundation
• 2012 The History of England, v.2 Tudors
• 2014 The History of England, v.3 Civil War
• 2014 Charlie Chaplin
• 2015 Alfred Hitchcock
• 2017 Queer City: Gay London from the Romans to the Present Day

See also

In Spanish: Peter Ackroyd para niños

• List of children's non-fiction writers