James Hamilton-Paterson
Encyclopedia
James Hamilton-Paterson (born 6 November 1941) is a poet
and novelist.
He is one of the most reclusive of British
literary exiles, sharing his time between Austria
, Italy
, and the Philippines
.
, Bickley Hall, Kent, King's School, Canterbury, and Exeter College, Oxford
.
Serving as a hospital orderly at St. Stephen's Hospital between 1966–1968, Paterson earned his first break in 1969 as a reporter for New Statesman
until 1974 when he became features editor for Nova
magazine.
In 1989, Gerontius was published, a reconstruction of a journey made by the composer Sir Edward Elgar
along the River Amazon in 1923. Regarded by admirers as being among the best British novels of the 1980s, its poetic language, dreamlike landscapes and lush imaginings won him the Whitbread Award for first novel.
In 1992, he published Seven-Tenths,a far-ranging meditation upon the sea and its meanings. A mixture of art, science, history and philosophy, this book is a deep, abstract lament on loss and the loss of meaning.
In 2000, he returned to the magazine industry as a science columnist for Das Magazin (Zurich) for two years before becoming a science columnist for Die Weltwoche
.
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and novelist.
He is one of the most reclusive of British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
literary exiles, sharing his time between Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, and the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.
Early life
James Hamilton-Paterson was born on November 6, 1941 in London, England. He was educated at Windlesham House, SussexWindlesham House School
Windlesham House School was founded in 1837 by Charles Robert Malden and was the first boys' preparatory school in the United Kingdom. The independent school is located near Washington, West Sussex having moved there in 1934. It caters for over 300 pupils, both boarding and day, aged from four to...
, Bickley Hall, Kent, King's School, Canterbury, and Exeter College, Oxford
Exeter College, Oxford
Exeter College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England and the fourth oldest college of the University. The main entrance is on the east side of Turl Street...
.
Serving as a hospital orderly at St. Stephen's Hospital between 1966–1968, Paterson earned his first break in 1969 as a reporter for New Statesman
New Statesman
New Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
until 1974 when he became features editor for Nova
Nova (UK magazine)
Nova, published from March 1965 to October 1975, was a British magazine. It has been described as "a politically radical, beautifully designed, intellectual women's magazine"....
magazine.
Literary career
Hamilton-Paterson is generally known as a commentator on the Philippines, where he has lived on and off since 1979. His novel Ghosts of Manila (1994) portrayed the Philippine capital in all its decay and violence and was highly critical of the Marcoses - a view he rescinded with the publication of America's Boy (1998), which sets the Marcos regime into the geopolitical context of the time.In 1989, Gerontius was published, a reconstruction of a journey made by the composer Sir Edward Elgar
Edward Elgar
Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet OM, GCVO was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestral works including the Enigma Variations, the Pomp and Circumstance Marches, concertos...
along the River Amazon in 1923. Regarded by admirers as being among the best British novels of the 1980s, its poetic language, dreamlike landscapes and lush imaginings won him the Whitbread Award for first novel.
In 1992, he published Seven-Tenths,a far-ranging meditation upon the sea and its meanings. A mixture of art, science, history and philosophy, this book is a deep, abstract lament on loss and the loss of meaning.
In 2000, he returned to the magazine industry as a science columnist for Das Magazin (Zurich) for two years before becoming a science columnist for Die Weltwoche
Die Weltwoche
Die Weltwoche is a Swiss weekly magazine based in Zürich. It is privately owned by Roger Köppel. The magazine's regular columnists of note include the former president of the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland, Peter Bodenmann, as well as Christoph Mörgeli MP, a leading figure of the right...
.
Fiction
- The View from Mount Dog (1987)
- Gerontius (1989)
- The Bell Boy (1990)
- Griefwork (1993)
- Ghosts of Manila (1994)
- The Music (1995)
- Loving Monsters (2002)
- Cooking with Fernet Branca (2004)
- Amazing Disgrace (2006)
- Rancid Pansies (2008)
Children's fiction
- Flight Underground (1969)
- The House in the Waves (1970)
- Hostage (1978)
Non-fiction
- A very personal war: the story of Cornelius Hawkridge (1971)
- Mummies: Life and Death in ancient Egypt (1978)
- Playing with Water (1987)
- Three Miles Down (1990), an account of an underwater search using the Mir submersibleMIR (submersible)Mir is a self-propelled Deep Submergence Vehicle. The project was initially developed by the USSR Academy of Sciences along with Design Bureau Lazurith. Later two vehicles were ordered from Finland...
s. - Seven-Tenths: the sea and its thresholds (1992)
- America's Boy (1998)
- Vom Meer (2010)
- Empire of the Clouds: When Britain's Aircraft Ruled the World (2010)