Richard Percival Lister facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
R. P. Lister
FRSL
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Lister in his nineties, with some of his paintings
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| Born | Richard Percival Lister 23 November 1914 Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England |
| Occupation | Metallurgist, author, poet, artist |
| Nationality | British |
Richard Percival Lister (born November 23, 1914 – died May 1, 2014) was a talented English person who did many things! He was an author, a poet, an artist, and even a metallurgist (someone who studies metals). He was also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (FRSL), which is a special honor for writers.
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Early Life and War Work
Richard Percival Lister was born in Nottingham, England, in 1914. He grew up in places like West Didsbury and the beautiful Peak District in Derbyshire. He went to school in New Mills, a town in Derbyshire.
In the 1930s, he studied Metallurgy at Manchester University. Metallurgy is the science of working with metals. After university, he worked at a steel factory near Sheffield until World War II began. During the war, he used his skills to help out. He worked at the Royal Naval Torpedo Factory in Scotland and also for the Royal Aircraft Establishment in England. He helped with things related to aircraft production in London too.
Life After the War
After the war, Lister decided to change his career path. Even though he was good at working with metals, he discovered many other talents! In 1950, he stopped working as a metallurgist and started writing. He published most of his books under the name R. P. Lister.
His writings included many different types of books:
- Novels (fiction stories)
- Autobiographical accounts (stories about his own life and travels)
- History books
- Poetry, especially light and fun poems
Besides writing, Lister also became a professional artist. People really liked his paintings, so he started selling them. He also worked as an editor for a publishing company for a few years in the 1950s.
Lister's Published Works
R. P. Lister wrote many books and poems throughout his life.
Fiction Novels
He wrote several novels, which are fictional stories. Some of his well-known novels include:
- The Way Backwards (1950)
- The Oyster and the Torpedo (1951)
- Rebecca Redfern (1953)
- The Rhyme and the Reason (1963)
- The Questing Beast (1965)
- One Short Summer (1974)
Poetry Collections
Lister wrote hundreds of poems. Many of them were published in famous magazines like The New Yorker, Punch, and The Atlantic. He later collected some of these poems into books, such as:
- The Idle Demon. A collection of verses (1958)
- Allotments (1985)
- The Albatross (1986)
He continued to write and publish regularly until the 1980s. After that, he spent more time painting and editing. In 2010, he was featured as a poet again in a magazine called Able Muse.
Travel Books
Lister also wrote travel books that were very personal. He often included his own drawings and illustrations in these books. Some of his travel adventures include:
- A Journey in Lapland. The hard way to Haparanda. (1965)
- A Muezzin from the Tower of Darkness Cries (1967), which was later reprinted as Turkey Observed.
- Turkey Observed (1968)
- Glimpses of a Planet (1997)
History and Biography
He was also interested in history and wrote books about famous historical figures:
- The Secret History of Genghis Khan (1969)
- Marco Polo's Travels (in Xanadu With Kublai Khan) (1976)
- The Travels of Herodotus (1979)
Short Stories
Lister also published collections of short stories:
- Nine Legends (1991)
- Two Northern Stories (1996)
Achievements and Activities
One of R. P. Lister's biggest honors was becoming a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (FRSL) in 1970. This is a very special award for writers.
During his most active writing years, from the 1950s to the 1980s, he also wrote many essays and reviews for magazines. He even wrote some articles about metallurgy, showing he still used his technical knowledge.
Lister's poems have appeared in many poetry collections over the years. One of his most famous light poems is called "Defenestration". This poem was even set to music by a group called Instant Sunshine!
Painting Career
From about 1980 onwards, painting became Lister's main passion. He explained that people started buying his paintings in 1980, which made him want to paint all the time. He said painting kept him happy and busy for many years.
If you look at his paintings, you might notice something special. He had a unique way of mixing playful ideas with serious backgrounds, like mountains and clouds. This made his paintings seem childlike at first, but they also showed a deep understanding of the world. This was similar to his writing style, where he often had a serious message hidden within his fun and witty words.
