Lister Sinclair
Lister Sinclair was a prominent figure in Canadian broadcasting and literature, born in 1921 in Bombay (now Mumbai), India, to Scottish parents. His early life saw him moving to the UK for education before emigrating to Canada during World War II, where he pursued studies in mathematics and physics at the University of British Columbia. Sinclair's career began in earnest with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), where he became known for writing approximately four hundred radio plays during the golden era of radio drama. His transition to television saw him becoming an executive producer and a significant contributor to CBC-Television, where he also served in various executive roles, including vice president in charge of program policy and development.
Throughout his career, Sinclair produced notable works, such as the stage play "The Blood Is Strong," which reflects on Scottish heritage, and several anthologies of radio plays. Despite critical acclaim for his language and wit, some reviews noted shortcomings in plot and character development. Sinclair's contributions to arts and broadcasting earned him several awards, including the Order of Canada and multiple honorary doctorates from Canadian universities. He also held an academic position at York University, further solidifying his legacy in the Canadian cultural landscape.
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Lister Sinclair
- Born: January 9, 1921
- Birthplace: Bombay, India (now Mumbai, India)
- Died: October 16, 2006
- Place of death: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Biography
Lister Sinclair was born in Bombay (now Mumbai), India, to Scottish parents, in 1921. His father, W. Shedden Sinclair, was a chemical engineer; his mother was Lillie Agnes Sinclair. At three years old, he was sent back to the U.K. to live with relatives and go to boarding school. He then went to a prestigious boys’ private school, St. Paul’s, London. After school at the beginning of World War II, he emigrated to Canada, doing his undergraduate study at the University of British Columbia, majoring in math and physics. He graduated in 1942, the same year as he married his first wife, Alice Mather, by whom he had one son. Alice worked for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).
Sinclair then moved to the University of Toronto, completing his M.A. in 1945, then took up a teaching post there in mathematics until 1948. In 1944, however, he had begun working part-time with the CBC as an actor and writer. The next two decades were the golden era in radio drama, and Sinclair wrote some four hundred plays for the medium. In 1952, CBC-Television was formed, and Sinclair began to write for that medium also. In the same year, he was appointed to the Royal Conservatoire of Music in Toronto.
He then began to produce television series, becoming an executive producer for CBC-TV in 1967. By this time his first marriage had ended in divorce, and in 1965 he had married for the second time, his new wife being Margaret Watchman. From 1972 to 1975, he was CBC executive vice president, and from 1975 to 1980 vice president in charge of program policy and development. In the end, he preferred the hands-on work as a producer and returned to that. Meanwhile he had also served as a panelist for the long-running show, Court of Opinion, and was often called on as a commentator. In 1983, he accepted a post on the faculty of fine arts at York University.
Few of Sinclair’s radio plays made it into print. Twelve were published in 1948 as A Play on Words, and Other Radio Plays. Some are pleas for a peaceful world; some are satiric; one is a retelling of the Oedipus myth. Seven others appeared in Ways of Mankind, an anthology edited by Walter Goldschmidt in 1954. He also wrote a number of scripts for the dramatization of Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America, which were published in 1962. Critical comment on his drama suggests his language and wit were praiseworthy, but plot and character were somewhat lacking. He did write one stage play, The Man in the Blue Moon. Sinclair directed it. Other stage plays were adapted from radio plays, his best known being The Blood Is Strong. It is about a Scottish pioneer on Cape Breton Island, who struggles to maintain his heritage and traditions.
Sinclair has received a number of awards, including the Order of Canada in 1985; the John Drainie Award for services to broadcasting, and the Sandford Fleming Medal of the Royal Canadian Institute in 1984. He holds honorary doctorates from no fewer than four Canadian universities, including his alma mater, the University of British Columbia.