Peter Ackroyd

Peter Ackroyd
was born on October 5, 1949, in East Action, West London. He grew up in
a very strict catholic household, and was a very bright student. He
continued his education at Clare College in Cambridge, England and
graduated in 1972 with a degree in English literature. After graduating
he received the Mellon Fellowship, which allowed him to Attend Yale
University, where he would meet his longtime friend and partner, who was
a dancer.
While at Yale University, Ackroyd wrote, Notes for a New Culture. This
book was published in 1976.
Ackroyd is known for his love of London and that comes through in his
writings. He often writes about English authors, sometimes making up
fictional biographies of such writers as Charles Dickens. He enjoyed
exploring the writers of England and their manuscripts.
After attending Yale University, Ackroyd began work at The Spectator
magazine and eventually became one of the chief editors there. He also
worked at a book reviewer for The Times, and was also a regular radio
broadcaster.
Ackroyd first started his writing by penning poems, and published his
first poem in 1973.
Ackroyd had a long-term relationship with Brian Kuhn, who was a dancer
Ackroyd met while at Yale. A sad fate played into the mix, when Kuhn was
diagnosed with AIDS, dying in 1994. At the time the two were living in
Devon, England. After Kuhn’s death, Ackroyd moved back to London where
he is now.
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