Libby Purves
Encyclopedia
Libby Purves OBE is a British radio presenter, journalist and author. A diplomat's daughter, she was educated at convent schools in Israel
, Bangkok
, South Africa
and France
, and then Beechwood Sacred Heart School
in Tunbridge Wells
.
Purves won a scholarship to St Anne's College, Oxford, where she was awarded a First Class degree
in English. She was elected Librarian of the Oxford Union
. In 1971, she joined the BBC
as a studio manager. By the mid 1970s she was a regular presenter on BBC Radio Oxford where she could be frequently heard on the station's early morning shows. In 1976, at the age of 26, she joined Brian Redhead
on the BBC's Today programme
, becoming the show's first female presenter. In 1983 she was, during a four month period, editor of the Tatler
magazine.
She currently presents Midweek
on BBC Radio 4
and the education programme The Learning Curve. Purves also writes a column for The Times
newspaper. She was named columnist of the year in 1999 and in the same year was appointed an OBE
for services to journalism.
She has written a series of books on childcare, eleven novels including Mother Country
, and a travel book, One Summer's Grace, about a 1,700-mile sailing journey round Britain with children aged three and five.
She is married to Paul Heiney
and they live near Leiston
in Suffolk
, close to her mother's home in Southwold
. They have one living child, Rose Heiney, an actress and writer, who has also been an occasional columnist for The Times
newspaper. Their first child, Nicholas Heiney died on 26 June 2006 at the age of 23. He hanged himself in the family home after a struggle with serious mental illness. A collection of his sea-logs of a Pacific journey under square-rig, and of his poetry, has been published.
Despite her Roman Catholic faith, she is outspokenly in favour of gay rights, and has written many articles supporting this position. In 2009 Libby debated at the Cambridge Union against Dr Glenn Wilson
and Rupert Myers on the motion 'This House Would Rather Be Gay'.
Libby Purves is a keen sailor and has a monthly column in the sailing magazine Yachting Monthly and is a regular contributor to The Oldie
magazine. She was recently appointed a patron of the British Art Music Series Trust along with James MacMillan and John Wilson
. In February 2010 she was appointed The Times drama critic in succession to Benedict Nightingale
.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and then Beechwood Sacred Heart School
Beechwood Sacred Heart School
Beechwood Sacred Heart School is a co-educational independent school for boys and girls aged 3 – 18, which comprises a Nursery, Preparatory School and Senior School, with boarding for girls aged 11 – 18...
in Tunbridge Wells
Royal Tunbridge Wells
Royal Tunbridge Wells is a town in west Kent, England, about south-east of central London by road, by rail. The town is close to the border of the county of East Sussex...
.
Purves won a scholarship to St Anne's College, Oxford, where she was awarded a First Class degree
British undergraduate degree classification
The British undergraduate degree classification system is a grading scheme for undergraduate degrees in the United Kingdom...
in English. She was elected Librarian of the Oxford Union
Oxford Union
The Oxford Union Society, commonly referred to simply as the Oxford Union, is a debating society in the city of Oxford, Britain, whose membership is drawn primarily but not exclusively from the University of Oxford...
. In 1971, she joined the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
as a studio manager. By the mid 1970s she was a regular presenter on BBC Radio Oxford where she could be frequently heard on the station's early morning shows. In 1976, at the age of 26, she joined Brian Redhead
Brian Redhead
Brian Leonard Redhead was a British author, journalist and broadcaster. He was probably best known as a co-presenter of the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 which he worked on from 1975 until 1993, shortly before his death...
on the BBC's Today programme
Today programme
Today is BBC Radio 4's long-running early morning news and current affairs programme, now broadcast from 6.00 am to 9.00 am Monday to Friday, and 7.00 am to 9.00 am on Saturdays. It is also the most popular programme on Radio 4 and one of the BBC's most popular programmes across its radio networks...
, becoming the show's first female presenter. In 1983 she was, during a four month period, editor of the Tatler
Tatler
Tatler has been the name of several British journals and magazines, each of which has viewed itself as the successor of the original literary and society journal founded by Richard Steele in 1709. The current incarnation, founded in 1901, is a glossy magazine published by Condé Nast Publications...
magazine.
She currently presents Midweek
Midweek (BBC Radio 4)
Midweek is a British weekly radio magazine series broadcast on BBC Radio 4 it is aired on Wednesday at 09.00 and is repeated later the same day at 21.00...
on BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
and the education programme The Learning Curve. Purves also writes a column for The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
newspaper. She was named columnist of the year in 1999 and in the same year was appointed an OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
for services to journalism.
She has written a series of books on childcare, eleven novels including Mother Country
Mother Country (novel)
Mother Country is a novel by Libby Purves about a young American computer expert who goes in search of the relatives of his biological mother, a teenage heroin addict in 1970s London when she had him who was pronounced an unfit mother and who died soon after giving birth to him...
, and a travel book, One Summer's Grace, about a 1,700-mile sailing journey round Britain with children aged three and five.
She is married to Paul Heiney
Paul Heiney
Paul Heiney has been a radio broadcaster or television reporter in the United Kingdom for over thirty years.-Early life:...
and they live near Leiston
Leiston
Leiston is a town in eastern Suffolk, England. It is situated near Saxmundham and Aldeburgh, about from the North Sea coast and is northeast of Ipswich and northeast from London...
in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, close to her mother's home in Southwold
Southwold
Southwold is a town on the North Sea coast, in the Waveney district of the English county of Suffolk. It is located on the North Sea coast at the mouth of the River Blyth within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The town is around south of Lowestoft and north-east...
. They have one living child, Rose Heiney, an actress and writer, who has also been an occasional columnist for The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
newspaper. Their first child, Nicholas Heiney died on 26 June 2006 at the age of 23. He hanged himself in the family home after a struggle with serious mental illness. A collection of his sea-logs of a Pacific journey under square-rig, and of his poetry, has been published.
Despite her Roman Catholic faith, she is outspokenly in favour of gay rights, and has written many articles supporting this position. In 2009 Libby debated at the Cambridge Union against Dr Glenn Wilson
Glenn Wilson (psychologist)
Glenn Daniel Wilson is a psychologist best known for his work on attitude and personality measurement, sexual attraction, deviation and dysfunction, partner compatibility, and psychology applied to performing arts.In 2001, Wilson was ranked among the 10 most frequently cited British psychologists...
and Rupert Myers on the motion 'This House Would Rather Be Gay'.
Libby Purves is a keen sailor and has a monthly column in the sailing magazine Yachting Monthly and is a regular contributor to The Oldie
The Oldie
The Oldie is a monthly magazine launched in 1992 by Richard Ingrams, who for 23 years was the editor of Private Eye. It carries general interest articles, humour and cartoons, and has an eclectic list of contributors, including James Le Fanu, John Sweeney, Thomas Stuttaford, Virginia Ironside,...
magazine. She was recently appointed a patron of the British Art Music Series Trust along with James MacMillan and John Wilson
John Wilson (conductor)
John Wilson is a British conductor, arranger and musicologist and specialises in music for the small and big screens, as well as Big Band jazz and light music...
. In February 2010 she was appointed The Times drama critic in succession to Benedict Nightingale
Benedict Nightingale
Benedict Nightingale is a British journalist and a regular theatre critic for The Times newspaper. He was born in 1939 and educated at Charterhouse and Magdalene College, Cambridge...
.
External links
- The Oldie Magazine
- Yachting Monthly
- Libby Purves's Blog
- The Silence at the Song's End by Nicholas Heiney, Libby Purves, Duncan WuDuncan WuDuncan Wu is a British academic and biographer.From 2000-2008, he was Professor of English Language and Literature at St Catherine's College, University of Oxford, England. He is now a Professor in the English Department at Georgetown University in Washington DC...
(editor), Alan Parker (illustrator), Song's End Books (31 Oct 2007) ISBN 0-9557085-0-8 - Sons Tragic Death