Laurie Taylor | |
|---|---|
| Born | Laurence John Taylor (1936-08-01)1 August 1936 (age 89) Liverpool, England |
| Alma mater | Birkbeck, University of London University of Leicester Rose Bruford College |
| Occupation(s) | Sociologist Radio presenter |
| Spouse | Jennie Howells (?–?) Anna Coote (?–?) Cathie Mahoney (1988–?) Sally Feldman (?–) |
| Children | Matthew Taylor |
Laurence John Taylor (born 1 August 1936) is an Englishsociologist and radio presenter, originally fromLiverpool.
After attendingRoman Catholic schools includingSt Mary's College, Crosby,Merseyside, then a direct grant grammar and now an independent school, Taylor trained as an actor atRose Bruford College,Sidcup, associated withJoan Littlewood'sTheatre Workshop inStratford, London. He was also a teacher at the Forest Hill comprehensive school for boys.
After earning degrees in sociology and psychology, as a mature student, atBirkbeck College and theUniversity of Leicester, Taylor joined the department of sociology at theUniversity of York, eventually becoming a professor at that institution. He is retired from York.[1]
Taylor is sometimes thought to be the model for Howard Kirk inMalcolm Bradbury's novelThe History Man[2] although Bradbury and Taylor had not met at the time the book was written. Taylor was then a member of theTrotskyist political partyInternational Socialists.[3]
Taylor is divorced from his third wife (whom he married in December 1988 in Camden), radio producer Cathie Mahoney who works onLoose Ends on BBC Radio 4. He was previously married to journalistAnna Coote, a former deputy editor of theNew Statesman, who has also been associated with various public organisations. He is now married to Sally Feldman, journalist and former editor of Radio Four'sWoman's Hour and currently ahumanistcelebrant. He is a Vice President ofHumanists UK.[4]
Taylor's son,Matthew, is Chief Executive of theNHS Confederation.[5]
Taylor has a particular interest incriminology. He was one of the founder members of theNational Deviancy Conference.[6] A popular author writing on the media and fame, he has published widely in criminology. Perhaps his best-known early work was the book co-written withStanley Cohen:Escape Attempts: The Theory and Practice of Resistance to Everyday Life. The book arose from research into the wellbeing of long-term prisoners. He has collaborated with bank robber turned author,John McVicar, on research.[7]
Taylor has had an extensive broadcasting career onBBC Radio 4. For many years he was a participant onRobert Robinson's programmeStop The Week, later presentedThe Radio Programme and took onThe Afternoon Shift, a re-branding of the ill-fatedAnderson Country. His media associates have includedTom Baker[8] andVictor Lewis-Smith. In 1991 he appeared in the documentaryFlesh and Blood: The Story of the Krays.[9]
Since 1998, Taylor has regularly presented the discussion programmeThinking Allowed onBBC Radio 4, a series mainly devoted to the social sciences. In addition, he is known for his long-running and mainly humorous column in theTimes Higher Education Supplement[10] as well as writing for theNew Humanist and being a distinguished supporter ofHumanists UK. He is the presenter ofIn Confidence,[11] a series of one-hour in-depth interviews with public figures.
