Author! Author!
Many UK universities now teach creative writing, notably Bath Spa, Southampton Solent, Goldsmith’s and the place that started it all, UEA, but dozens and dozens of others now offer undergraduate and postgraduate degrees too.
Many of these courses are taught by established writers. Others are taught by academics who have gone on to be successful authors. And there are plenty of other academics who just happen to be best-selling novelists too. Annoyingly.
So how well do you know your academic authors? The following list of worthies includes five individuals who are not or were not both academics and writers of fiction. Can you spot them without Googling? Add your guesses in the comments section (answers in due course).
Stephen King
Umberto Eco
Jon McGregor
Rose Tremain
David Lodge
Iris Murdoch
Simone de Beauvoir
W G Sebald
Michele Roberts
Philip K Dick
Patricia Duncker
Lavinia Greenlaw
Muriel Spark
Malcolm Bradbury
Paul Magrs
Ali Smith
Howard Jacobson
Eden Sharp
Angela Carter
Ian Rankin
Giles Foden
Christopher Bigsby
J R R Tolkien
Lewis Carroll
George R R Martin
D H Lawrence
Angus Wilson
Stephen Hawking
C S Lewis
Isaac Asimov
Alexander McCall Smith
Andrew Motion
G K Chesterton
Russell Celyn Jones
(For anyone who can’t possibly wait the answers can be found here)
Originally published on wonkhe.com at /blogs/registrarism-author-author/.
Smita Jamdar
Malcolm Bradbury, David Lodge, Howard Jacobson, CS Lewis, Iris Murdoch
Paul Greatrix
That’s 0/5 Smita. I think you may have misread the rubric.
Paul Greatrix
Or I’ve written it really badly
Smita Jamdar
No it’s me. Doh!
Stephen Rowlstone
Ian Ranking, Ali Smith, George Martin, Philip K Dick & Rose Tremain
Paul Greatrix
Just 1/5 there Stephen
Stephen Rowlstone
I’m impressed I got one right ☺
Dee Bird
Philip K Dick, DH Lawrence, Muriel Spark, Lavinia Greenlaw,Jon McGregor
Paul Greatrix
Good effort 3/5!
Chris Husbands
Philip K Dick, DH Lawrence, Muriel Spark, Isaac Asimov, George R R Martin
Paul Greatrix
Nice try Chris – 3/5 isn’t too shabby
Chris Husbands
High 2:1 unless I am much mistaken.
Paul Greatrix
Borderline
Stephen Rowlstone
Second attempt : Dick, Lawrence, Spark, Hawking, Motion?
Paul Greatrix
3/5. Bit of bunching in the scores here
Caroline Morgan
Iris Murdoch, Ian Rankin, George RR Martin, DH Lawrence, Ali Smith
Caroline Morgan
Yikes that was meant to be Muriel Spark,not iris Murdoch
Paul Greatrix
It’s a slightly dodgy 2/5 there Caroline
Gabriele
This is really hard, so guessing it’s Lawrence, spark, Asimov, Martin and Dick. Does Lewis Carroll count because it’s just a nomdeplume and the academic behind that name used his real name for work? Too pathetic an attempt and clutching at straws?
Paul Greatrix
Yep, clutching at straws is right. 3/5
Gabriele
*hangs head in shame* Has googled and knows answer now. Resubmit? Or does that way disqualification lie?
Paul Greatrix
The specific instructions were not to Google…
pinman
Dick, Spark, Lawrence, Carter and Sebald.
Paul Greatrix
Another 3/5 effort!
Michelle Dickson
Dick, Lawrence, Spark, Rankin, Greenlaw
Paul Greatrix
It’s good but it’s not right. Another 3/5
pinman
This is so like playing Cluedo, Paul. Of course, it’s the ‘no Google’ rule which is turning away the masses.
Gordon Slaven
Asimov, Lawrence, Rankin, Spark, Forden?
Gordon Slaven
Foden, that last one is…
Paul Greatrix
A rather weak 2/5 there I’m afraid
Gordon Slaven
Sigh…