Richard Parsons (author)
Encyclopedia
Richard Parsons of Broughton-in-Furness
, Lancashire
, England
is a former teacher and the author of a series of best-selling GCSE
study guide
s. In a league table of the top UK authors, by number of books sold, compiled by The Bookseller
magazine, for the period 2000-2009, he ranked fifth.
Parsons started writing the study guides in 1995 and published them through his company, Coordination Group Publications
. By the end of 2009, his 600 titles had sold over nine million books grossing over £48 million. Though he wrote the original books himself, and they all bear his name, later books were written by other teachers. Parsons wrote the motivational book, How to fulfill your wildest dreams!, that was published in 1990, by Mega-Books (Broughton-in-Furness). He also owns a petrol station and leisure centre in Broughton.
Parsons, a keen cyclist, lives in an apartment in Broughton with his wife Kyra and son. His mother, Heather Parsons, is also a former teacher, and his father is a dentist. Parsons went to Ulverston Victoria High School
before gaining a First in Physics at Oxford University
. On graduating, he taught mathematics at Furness College, Barrow-in-Furness
.
Parsons donated £100,000, in January 2008, to the parish of Broughton and Duddon to pay for essential repairs to St Mary Magdalene
and the Holy Innocents Church.
Broughton-in-Furness
Broughton in Furness is a small town on the southern boundary of England's Lake District National Park. It is located in the Furness region of Cumbria, which was part of Lancashire before 1974...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
is a former teacher and the author of a series of best-selling GCSE
General Certificate of Secondary Education
The General Certificate of Secondary Education is an academic qualification awarded in a specified subject, generally taken in a number of subjects by students aged 14–16 in secondary education in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is equivalent to a Level 2 and Level 1 in Key Skills...
study guide
Study guide
Study guides can be broad based to facilitate learning in a number of areas, or be resources that foster comprehension of literature, research topics, history, and other subjects....
s. In a league table of the top UK authors, by number of books sold, compiled by The Bookseller
The Bookseller
The Bookseller is a British magazine reporting news on the publishing industry. Neill Denny is editor-in-chief of the weekly print edition of the magazine, while Philip Jones is deputy editor, having recently been promoted from the position of managing editor of the Bookseller.com...
magazine, for the period 2000-2009, he ranked fifth.
Parsons started writing the study guides in 1995 and published them through his company, Coordination Group Publications
CGP (books)
CGP, standing for Coordination Group Publications, is a textbook publishing company, and the UK's leading educational publisher, having published over 600 books. Their main range is "CGP Revision Guides"; these are written in an informal style, containing many jokes and diagrams...
. By the end of 2009, his 600 titles had sold over nine million books grossing over £48 million. Though he wrote the original books himself, and they all bear his name, later books were written by other teachers. Parsons wrote the motivational book, How to fulfill your wildest dreams!, that was published in 1990, by Mega-Books (Broughton-in-Furness). He also owns a petrol station and leisure centre in Broughton.
Parsons, a keen cyclist, lives in an apartment in Broughton with his wife Kyra and son. His mother, Heather Parsons, is also a former teacher, and his father is a dentist. Parsons went to Ulverston Victoria High School
Ulverston Victoria High School
Ulverston Victoria High School is a Mathematics and Computing Specialist school in the town of Ulverston, Cumbria, Northern England.-Ofsted:...
before gaining a First in Physics at Oxford University
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
. On graduating, he taught mathematics at Furness College, Barrow-in-Furness
Furness College, Barrow-in-Furness
Furness College is a college of further education in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. It provides a wide range of vocational education and training to over 16s, notably working with BAE Systems to train apprentices for their shipyard in Barrow. The college also offers evening classes for the local...
.
Parsons donated £100,000, in January 2008, to the parish of Broughton and Duddon to pay for essential repairs to St Mary Magdalene
St Mary Magdalene's Church, Broughton-in-Furness
St Mary Magdalene's Church, Broughton-in-Furness, is in Broughton-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Furness, the archdeaconry of Westmorland and Furness, and the diocese of Carlisle. Its benefice is united with those of four other local parishes...
and the Holy Innocents Church.