Richard Pine facts for kids

Richard Leslie Beswetherick Pine was born on August 21, 1949. He is a writer and critic who has written many books about famous authors like Brian Friel and Lawrence Durrell. He also writes about classical music in Ireland. For many years, he worked for Ireland's national TV and radio company, RTÉ (Raidió Teilifís Éireann). In 2001, he moved to Greece and started a special school called the Durrell School of Corfu. He led this school until 2010. Since 2009, he has written a regular column about Greece for The Irish Times newspaper. He also writes obituaries (articles about people who have passed away) for The Guardian newspaper.

In 2012, Richard Pine helped publish a book by Lawrence Durrell called Judith. This book had never been published before. He also edited another book by Durrell, The Placebo. He put together two large collections of Durrell's other writings, including plays, short stories, diaries, and travel notes. Lawrence Durrell himself once said that Richard Pine's work was "the best unpacking of my literary baggage I have heard."

Early Life and Education

Richard Pine was born in London, England. He was the only child of L. G. Pine and Grace Violet. He went to Westminster School from 1962 to 1966. After that, he moved to Ireland for college. He studied at Trinity College Dublin (TCD), earning his first degree in 1971. He also earned a teaching diploma in 1972. While at TCD, he was the president of the University Philosophical Society and won awards for his writing.

Career in Ireland

After finishing college, Richard Pine stayed in Ireland. He joined RTÉ, the national broadcaster, as a Concerts Manager. In this role, he helped manage the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra. In 1983, he became a senior editor in RTÉ's Public Affairs Division. He worked there for 16 years. During this time, he also edited a six-book series called "Broadcasting and Irish Society." He wrote and presented many radio shows for RTÉ Radio, including a 15-part series about Irish music history called "Music, Place and People: the Irish Experience 1740–1940."

From 1988 to 1990, Richard Pine was the Secretary of the Irish Writers' Union. He also wrote music reviews for The Irish Times. From 1990 to 1994, he was a co-editor for the Irish Literary Supplement, a magazine published in New York.

Between 1978 and 1988, Pine advised the Council of Europe on cultural programs. He wrote an important essay about cultural democracy, which was published in 1982.

Richard Pine has given many guest lectures at universities around the world. He has spoken about culture, literature, and Irish studies. Some of the places he has lectured include the University of California, Berkeley, New York University, and the Princess Grace Library, Monaco.

In 1989, he became a Governor (like a trustee) of the Royal Irish Academy of Music. He held this position until 2006. In 1998, the Academy gave him a special award called a Fellowship honoris causa for his contributions.

Since 1978, Pine has written many articles and books about Irish theater and playwrights. These include famous writers like Oscar Wilde and Brian Friel. About Pine's book The Diviner. The Art of Brian Friel, the Nobel Prize-winning poet Seamus Heaney said it was a strong book that would help people understand Friel's work better.

In 2018, Richard Pine was named "Critic of the Year" at the Newsbrands Ireland Journalism Awards. Judges praised his "great knowledge and fine judgment" and his "elegant style" for his book reviews in The Sunday Times. He was also nominated for "Foreign Correspondent" in 2017 and 2021 for his "Letter from Greece" in The Irish Times.

Life in Greece

Richard Pine continued his writing career when he moved to the Greek island of Corfu in 2001. There, he started the Durrell School of Corfu (DSC). For twelve years, this school held workshops about literature and protecting the environment. The school aimed to help people around the world understand the writings of Lawrence Durrell and his brother, Gerald Durrell. Gerald was a famous ecologist and zoologist.

The Durrell School closed in 2014. In 2016, it was replaced by the Durrell Library of Corfu, which is an online library and website. The library started holding international workshops again in 2017. In 2021, the Durrell Library began publishing a series of books called "Durrell Studies." These books are about the lives and work of Lawrence and Gerald Durrell, and other topics related to Greece and the surrounding regions.

Richard Pine often gives guest lectures at the Ionian University in Corfu. In 2019, he launched an online journal called "C.20 – an international journal" through the Durrell Library of Corfu. He also continues to write notes for concert programs for the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland.

Family Life

In 1972, Richard Pine married Melanie Craigen. They have two daughters. Their daughter Emilie Pine was born in 1977. She is a writer of essays and a professor of drama at University College Dublin. Their other daughter, Vanessa Pine, was born in 1981. She is an artist and writes about cooking. Richard Pine and Melanie Craigen separated in 1983. From 1994 to 2008, Pine's partner was Patricia Kavanagh, a concert artist and piano professor. In 2018, Emilie Pine published a memoir called Notes to Self, which was voted Book of the Year at the Irish Book Awards.

Selected Works and Reviews

Richard Pine has written many books that have received positive reviews. Here are a few examples:

• Dublin Gate Theatre, 1928–1978
  • Described as "scholarly, fascinating, indispensable" by Terence de Vere White in the Times Literary Supplement.

• Oscar Wilde (1983)
  • Thomas Kilroy wrote in The Irish Times that he was very impressed by the book's description of Wilde's difficult times.

• Brian Friel and Ireland's Drama (1990)
  • Thomas Kilroy called it "essential reading for anyone interested in our theatre."
  • Fintan O'Toole in The Irish Times said it was "immensely well researched" and "does what criticism ought to do: open up a body of work."

• The Diviner: The Art of Brian Friel (1999)
  • Shaun Richards in the Irish University Review noted that Pine's deep understanding of Friel makes this "the analysis to be reckoned with."

• Music and Broadcasting in Ireland (2005)
  • Patricia Flynn in Irish Economic and Social History called it "A rich cultural history of music in Ireland."

• Charles: The Life and World of Charles Acton (2010)
  • Ite O'Donovan in The Irish Times praised it as "a fine narrative" that "superbly traces a cultural history of Ireland in the 20th century."

• The Disappointed Bridge: Ireland and the Post-Colonial World (2014)
  • Tom Gallagher from Scottish Affairs described it as "A beautifully written and carefully researched book that offers fascinating inter-cultural connections."

• Minor Mythologies as Popular Literature (2018)
  • Jonathan Barnes in the Times Literary Supplement found it "clear, acute and surprisingly passionate."

• Lawrence Durrell's Endpapers and Inklings 1933–1988 (2019)
  • Isabelle Keller-Privat in Miranda journal called it "erudite, all-embracing, irreverent and non-canonical."
  • Wayne Arnold in the Journal of British Studies said it was "An essential addition to Durrellian studies."

• The Eye of the Xenos (2021)
  • Roy Foster in The Irish Times noted that Pine's book shows how the strength of the Greek people lies in their everyday culture.

• The Quality of Life: essays on cultural politics 1978-2018
  • Brian Maye in The Irish Times called it "this stimulating, eloquently written work."