Vivien Noakes (née Langley; 16 February 1937 – 17 February 2011) was a British biographer, editor and critic, an expert on Edward Lear and the literature of the First World War. She was a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
Early life and education
She was born Vivien Mary Langley, daughter of aeronautical engineer Marcus Langley and educated at Dunottar School, leaving with A-levels. It was not until later in life that she took her degree at Manchester College, Oxford, and Somerville College, Oxford, where she was subsequently lecturer.
Career
She lectured at Harvard University and at the Yale Center for British Art. She was a leading authority - per her Times obituary, "the world's leading authority" - on Edward Lear and on the literature of World War I.
Personal life
She was married to the painter Michael Noakes, in collaboration with whom she produced The Daily Life of The Queen: An Artist's Diary (2000); the couple had three children.
She died of cancer the day after her 74th birthday, a month after suffering a stroke. She left copies of many of Lear's letters to Somerville College Library.
Works
- Edward Lear, The Life of a Wanderer (1968). ISBN 978-0750937443 (2006 ed.)
- Edward Lear, 1812-1888 (1986). ISBN 978-0810912625
- The Painter Edward Lear (1991). ISBN 978-0715397787
- The Daily Life of The Queen: An Artist's Diary (2000) with Michael Noakes. ISBN 978-0091869823
- Voices of Silence (2006). ISBN 978-0750945219
Links
- Michael and Vivien Noakes' website; accessed 10 April 2014.
References
- ^ Obituary, The Guardian, 4 March 2011; accessed 10 April 2014.
- The Telegraph obituary, 11 March 2011; accessed 10 April 2014.
- Vivien Noakes obituary, warpoets.org; accessed 10 April 2014.
- "Vivien Noakes".
- Profile; accessed 10 April 2014.
- "Vivien Noakes (Estate)".
- Cambridge Science Live; accessed 10 April 2014.
- Notice of the death of Vivien Noakes, nonsenselit.wordpress.com; accessed 10 April 2014.
- "Special Collections". some.ox.ac.uk. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
- Charles Lewsen (4 March 2011). "Vivien Noakes obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
- 1937 births
- 2011 deaths
- English biographers
- British women biographers
- English literary critics
- British women literary critics
- Alumni of Harris Manchester College, Oxford
- Alumni of Somerville College, Oxford
- Harvard University staff
- Yale University staff
- Deaths from cancer in England
- Fellows of the Royal Society of Literature
- People educated at Dunottar School for Girls