Stanley Middleton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Stanley Middleton
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| Born | 1 August 1919 Bulwell, Nottinghamshire, England |
| Died | 25 July 2009 (aged 89) |
| Occupation | Novelist |
| Alma mater | University of Nottingham |
| Genre | Novel |
| Notable awards | Booker Prize |
| Spouse | Margaret Welch |
Stanley Middleton FRSL (born August 1, 1919 – died July 25, 2009) was a famous British writer. He wrote many books, and one of them won a very important award.
Contents
Who Was Stanley Middleton?
Stanley Middleton was born in Bulwell, England, in 1919. He went to High Pavement School in Nottingham. Later, he studied at the University of Nottingham.
He started writing when he was at university. His first book, A Short Answer, came out in 1958. Besides being a writer, he taught English for many years. He worked at High Pavement Grammar School.
Winning the Booker Prize
In 1974, his book Holiday won a very important award. It was called the Booker Prize. This award is given to the best novel written in English that year.
His 44th and last book published while he was alive was Her Three Wise Men. It came out in 2008.
Beyond Writing
Stanley Middleton was also a talented musician. He played the organ regularly at St Mark's Methodist Church. He sometimes played at other churches too.
He was also good at painting with watercolours. He even drew the pictures for the covers of two of his books. These were Catalysts and Stanley Middleton At Eighty.
Interesting Facts
In 2006, a newspaper reporter did a fun experiment. They sent the first chapters of Holiday to many publishers. This was the book that won the Booker Prize. Almost all of them said no to publishing it!
A famous actor named Peter Bowles was taught by Mr. Middleton. This was when Peter was a student at High Pavement. In 1980, Stanley Middleton appeared on a TV show about Peter Bowles' life.
Family Life and Later Years
Stanley Middleton was married to Margaret Welch. They were married from 1951 until he passed away. They had two daughters named Penny and Sarah.
He became ill with cancer later in his life. He died in 2009, just before his 90th birthday.
Turning Down an Award
It was later shared that Stanley Middleton refused an award in 1979. This award was called an OBE. He felt he shouldn't get an award just for doing his job.
