Vivien Noakes Explained

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^[1] 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.^[2]

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.^{[3] [4] [5] [6]}

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.^[7]

She died of cancer the day after her 74th birthday, a month after suffering a stroke.^[8] She left copies of many of Lear's letters to Somerville College Library.^[9]

Works

• Edward Lear, The Life of a Wanderer (1968). (2006 ed.)
• Edward Lear, 1812-1888 (1986).
• The Painter Edward Lear (1991).
• The Daily Life of The Queen: An Artist's Diary (2000) with Michael Noakes.
• Voices of Silence (2006).^[10]

Links

• Michael and Vivien Noakes' website; accessed 10 April 2014.

Notes and References

1. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/books-obituaries/8377107/Vivien-Noakes.html The Telegraph obituary
2. http://www.warpoets.org/news/vivien_noakes_obit.htm Vivien Noakes obituary
3. News: Vivien Noakes .
4. http://patricianugee.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=60:the-world-renowned-edward-lear-expert-dr-vivien-noakes-visits-albania-for-the-first-time-on-30th-of-april&catid=35:activities&Itemid=57 Profile
5. Web site: Vivien Noakes (Estate) .
6. http://www.sciencelive.org/component/option,com_mediadb/task,view/idstr,OX-tag_2008_05_06_170333_124_oucs_ww1_podcasts/Itemid,26 Cambridge Science Live
7. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/mar/04/vivien-noakes-obituary Obituary
8. http://nonsenselit.wordpress.com/2011/02/18/vivien-is-no-longer-with-us Notice of the death of Vivien Noakes
9. Web site: Special Collections. some.ox.ac.uk. 28 August 2018.
10. Web site: Vivien Noakes obituary. Charles Lewsen. 4 March 2011. The Guardian. 15 June 2018.