Fred Urquhart
Frederick Burrows Urquhart, born on July 12, 1912, in Edinburgh, Scotland, was a notable Scottish author recognized for his literary contributions, particularly in short fiction. Growing up in various Scottish locales, Urquhart developed a passion for writing at an early age, publishing his first short story at just twenty-four. His novel "Time Will Knit," released in 1938, garnered him recognition within the literary community. A conscientious objector during World War II, he spent time working on a farm, which inspired many of his later works that featured agricultural themes. After the war, Urquhart relocated to London, where he engaged with the artistic community and continued to hone his craft. He formed a significant partnership with Peter Wyndham Allen, with whom he shared a home in Sussex until Allen's death in 1990. Throughout his career, Urquhart received accolades for his writing style, particularly his adept use of dialect and his empathetic portrayal of working-class characters. He passed away on December 2, 1995, in Haddington, Scotland, leaving behind a legacy that includes prestigious awards and recognition from critics and peers alike.
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Fred Urquhart
Writer
- Born: July 12, 1912
- Birthplace: Edinburgh, Scotland
- Died: December 2, 1995
- Place of death: Haddington, Scotland
Biography
Frederick Burrows Urquhart was born on July 12, 1912, in Edinburgh, Scotland, the oldest son of chauffeur Frederick Burrows Urquhart and Agnes Harrower Urquhart. He moved with his parents to Duns, then Fife, by 1914, where he started school when he was five. Urquhart moved to Perthshire during World War I when the Marquis of Breadalbane hired his father as a driver at Taymouth Castle.
By 1919, Urquhart returned to Edinburgh to live in his maternal grandparents’ home for two years. Beginning in 1921, he resided in Wigtownshire for several years. The author published a story he wrote while he lived there. Urquhart enrolled at Stranraer High School, where teachers supported his literary endeavors. Next, he attended Broughton Secondary School in Edinburgh when his family moved there in 1925. Loathing that school, Urquhart dropped out when he was fifteen and began employment in an Edinburgh used bookstore from 1927 to 1935.
Interested in writing, Urquhart listened to customers’ comments regarding literature and analyzed writers’ works. Publishers rejected Urquhart’s initial novel submissions. Magazine editors more favorably received Urquhart’s short fiction. When he was twenty-four, Urquhart published a short story in Adelphi. By 1938, Urquhart succeeded in publishing a novel, Time Will Knit, which secured him recognition from influential people in the literary community.
Although his two younger brothers fought in World War II, Urquhart chose to be a conscientious objector. A government tribunal ordered Urquhart to work on Bent Farm at Laurencekirk in northeastern Scotland as a secretary in addition to farm duties. Those four years inspired stories with agricultural settings, characters, and themes.
In June, 1944, Urquhart relocated to England to serve as the Duke of Bedford’s secretary. Urquhart frequently made trips to London, where the artist community invigorated him. Urquhart moved to London in 1946 and read manuscripts for literary agents and sought stories Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Walt Disney Productions could adapt. He also provided literary services for two publishers, Cassell and Co., Ltd., and J. M. Dent and Sons, Ltd.
Urquhart met his partner, Peter Wyndham Allen, in 1946, and they resided at an Ashdown Forest home in Sussex where Urquhart wrote and edited stories. Allen died in 1990. Weakened by diabetes and worried about suffering strokes, Urquhart moved to Musselburgh, Scotland, where his brother Morris lived. Urquhart worked on his autobiography but died on December 2, 1995, in Haddington, Scotland, before it was completed.
Critics, including George Orwell, emphasized Urquhart’s literary qualities, particularly his use of dialect, narrative, and humor and apt depictions characters of all ages. Reviewers noted Urquhart’s awareness of ordinary working-class people and their emotions and behaviors. They also complimented his ability to empathize with his characters without being sentimental. Some scholars asserted Urquhart was one of the twentieth century’s best short-story authors. The Society of Authors presented Urquhart its 1951-1952 Tom Gallon Award for his short story “The Ploughing Match.” Urquhart received a Scottish Arts Council grant in 1975 and grants from the Arts Council of Great Britain in 1966, 1978, and 1985.