Peter Fryer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Peter Fryer
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| Born | 18 February 1927 Hull, England
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| Died | 31 October 2006 (aged 79) |
| Nationality | English |
| Occupation | Writer and journalist |
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Notable work
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Staying Power: The History of Black People in Britain (1984) |
Peter Fryer was an English writer and journalist. He lived from 1927 to 2006. He is best known for his important book, Staying Power: The History of Black People in Britain. This book tells the story of Black people in Britain. He also wrote about many other topics.
Contents
Early Life and Journalism
Peter Fryer was born in Hull, England, in 1927. He won a scholarship to a good school called Hymers College. When he was 16, he left school. He started working as a reporter for the Yorkshire Post newspaper.
He joined a political group called the Young Communist League. Later, he became a member of the Communist Party. In 1947, he lost his job because he would not leave the party.
In 1948, Fryer joined the Daily Worker newspaper. He reported on politics in the British Parliament. He also covered news from other countries. In 1949, he reported on a trial in Hungary. He later felt bad about how he reported on it.
Reporting on the Hungarian Uprising
In October 1956, Peter Fryer went to Hungary. He was there to report on a big uprising. This was when people in Hungary tried to gain more freedom. Soviet troops stopped the uprising.
Fryer's reports about the events were often changed or not published. Because of this, he left the newspaper. He then wrote a book called Hungarian Tragedy in 1956. This book described what he saw during the uprising. He was removed from the Communist Party for writing about it. Hungarian Tragedy is still a very important book today.
After this, Fryer became an editor for a different political newspaper. He continued to write about politics. He also wrote a book called Lucid, Vigorous and Brief (1993). This book taught others how to write clearly and strongly.
Writing About Black History
In 1948, Peter Fryer reported on the arrival of the ship HMT Empire Windrush. This ship brought many people from the Caribbean to Britain. He became very interested in their experiences.
This interest led him to write his most famous book. It was called Staying Power: The History of Black People in Britain. It was published in 1984. This book tells the story of Black people living in Britain. He also wrote two shorter books related to this topic. They are called Aspects of British Black History and The Politics of Windrush.
Later Life and Recognition
Before he passed away, Peter Fryer was working on a new book. It was about life in Mississippi, USA, in the 1800s and 1900s. He hoped this book would be as important as Staying Power.
He also learned that the Hungarian government wanted to honor him. They wanted to thank him for supporting the Hungarian Revolution. Peter Fryer died on October 31, 2006, when he was 79 years old.
Honours and Legacy
After his death, Peter Fryer received a special award. It was the Knight's Cross of the Order of Merit from Hungary. This award recognized his support for freedom in Hungary.
On June 26, 2023, a blue plaque was put up in London. This plaque honors Peter Fryer. It is on the outside of a house where he used to live.
