Roger Lewis

Roger Lewis (born 26 February 1960) is a Welsh academic, biographer and journalist.[1][2]

Lewis was raised in Bedwas, Monmouthshire, where he was educated at Bassaleg School. He then attended the University of St Andrews (MA) before studying further at Magdalen College, Oxford (MLitt). He became a Fellow of Wolfson College, Oxford, in 1984.[1]

Lewis has also written books on Laurence Olivier, Peter Sellers[3] and the Carry On actor Charles Hawtrey (Charles Hawtrey: the man who was Private Widdle, 2001).[1]

Writing a book review for the Daily Mail in August 2011, Lewis expressed a dislike of the Welsh language, calling it an "appalling and moribund monkey language". Plaid Cymru politician Jonathan Edwards reported Lewis's comments to the police and to the Press Complaints Commission.[4][5]

In 2014 comments Lewis made in a Spectator article led to publishers Biteback Publishing withdrawing an offer of a book deal. In his review of a Dusty Springfield biography Lewis had said: "Call me a crazy old physiognomist, but my theory is that you can always spot a lesbian by her big thrusting chin. Celebrity Eskimo Sandi Toksvig, Ellen DeGeneres, Jodie Foster, Clare Balding, Vita Sackville-West, God love them: there's a touch of Desperate Dan in the jaw-bone area, no doubt the better to go bobbing for apples."[6][7]

List of publications

  • Lewis, Roger (2017). Erotic Vagrancy. London: Quercus. ISBN 978-0-857-38172-9.
  • Lewis, Roger (2011). What Am I Still Doing Here?. London: Coronet. ISBN 978-1-444-70868-4.
  • Lewis, Roger (2010). Growing Up with Comedians. London: Century. ISBN 978-1-84413-808-1.
  • Lewis, Roger (2009). Seasonal Suicide Notes: My Life as it is Lived. London: Short Books. ISBN 978-1-907595-00-4.
  • Lewis, Roger (2007). The Real Life of Laurence Olivier. London: Arrow Books. ISBN 978-0-09-951366-7.
  • Lewis, Roger (2003). Anthony Burgess. London: Faber and Faber. ISBN 978-0-571-21721-2.
  • Lewis, Roger (2002). Charles Hawtrey 1914-1988: The Man Who Was Private Widdle. London: Faber and Faber. ISBN 978-0-571-21089-3.
  • Lewis, Roger (1995). The Life and Death of Peter Sellers. London: Arrow Books. ISBN 978-0-09-974700-0. 1108 pages.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "The Writers of Wales Database: Roger Lewis". Literature of Wales. Archived from the original on 13 November 2013. Retrieved 13 November 2013.
  2. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-03-18. Retrieved 2011-06-05.
  3. ↑ Lewis, Roger (1995). The Life and Death of Peter Sellers. London: Arrow Books. ISBN 0-09-974700-6. 1108 pages.
  4. ↑ Addley, Esther (17 August 2011). "Esther Addley's diary". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 17 March 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  5. ↑ "Welsh 'monkey language' anger". BBC News. 16 August 2011. Archived from the original on 17 March 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  6. ↑ "Spectator columnist on Dusty Springfield: 'You can always spot a lesbian by her big thrusting chin' ·". PinkNews. 2014-08-14. Retrieved 2017-01-13.
  7. ↑ "The mad, bad and sad life of Dusty Springfield". The Spectator. Retrieved 2017-01-13.


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