Ivor Brown
Ivor Brown was a prominent drama critic, humorist, and journalist, originally born in Penang, Malaya, in a family with a medical background. His early literary talent emerged at the age of five when he authored and illustrated his first book. Brown pursued his education at prestigious institutions, including Cheltenham College and Balliol College, Oxford, where he studied classics and literature. After a brief stint in civil service, he dedicated himself to writing, producing his first novels during his university years, which reflected his personal views and opposition to World War I.
Brown established himself as a significant figure in journalism, notably contributing to the Manchester Guardian from 1919 to 1935, where he gained recognition as a drama critic. His editorial role at the Observer in the 1940s marked a peak in his career, showcasing his love for language and improving the publication's writing quality. He authored notable works during this period, such as "A Word in Your Ear" and "Just Another Word." His contributions to the field earned him accolades, including being chaired by the British Drama League and being made a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. Brown was honored with honorary degrees from St. Andrews and Aberdeen universities and was knighted in Denmark before his passing in 1974.
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Ivor Brown
Journalist
- Born: April 25, 1891
- Birthplace: Penang, Malaya (now Malaysia)
- Died: April 22, 1974
- Place of death: London, England
Biography
Noted drama critic, humorist, and journalist Ivor Brown was born in Penang, Malaya, where his father, Dr. William Carnegie Brown, was a physician specializing in tropical medicine. Ivor Brown had one older brother. Their mother, Jean Carnegie, was Dr. Brown’s first wife. At five, the precocious Ivor wrote and illustrated his first book, hinting at the large literary output he would later produce.
He attended preparatory school at Suffolk Hall and Cheltenham College, before studying classics and literature at Balliol College, Oxford University. He spent two days on the job as a civil servant but quit to pursue writing. University life provided the setting for his first novels, Years of Plenty and Security, both written before World War I but published in 1915 and 1916. Their autobiographical content reflected Brown’s own left-of-center leanings and presaged his opposition to the war. At about this time, 1916, he married Irene Gladys, an artist and actor who would go on to become a director. They had no children.
Beginning in 1919, Brown became a fixture at the Manchester Guardian until 1935, contributing an eclectic range of writing but becoming most identified as a drama critic. Among other publications to which Brown contributed were Saturday Review and Punch. Brown became editor in 1942 of the Observer, a weekly periodical for which he produced perhaps his best-known works, including A Word in Your Ear, in 1942, and Just Another Word, in 1943. While editor at the Observer, he continued to review plays.
The improved writing in the Observer revealed an editor who loved language and who insisted on its proper use. The appointment of Brown as chair of the British Drama League attested to his renown as a drama critic. Brown became a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. St. Andrews University and Aberdeen University each awarded him an honorary degree. He was knighted in Denmark, where he lectured extensively following World War II. Ivor Brown died in London in 1974.