Many UK universities now teach creative writing, notably Bath Spa, Southampton Solent, Goldsmith’s and the place that started it all, UEA, but dozens and dozens of others now offer undergraduate and postgraduate degrees too.
Many of these courses are taught by established writers. Others are taught by academics who have gone on to be successful authors. And there are plenty of other academics who just happen to be best-selling novelists too. Annoyingly.
So how well do you know your academic authors? The following list of worthies includes five individuals who are not or were not both academics and writers of fiction. Can you spot them without Googling? Add your guesses in the comments section (answers in due course).
Stephen King
Umberto Eco
Jon McGregor
Rose Tremain
David Lodge
Iris Murdoch
Simone de Beauvoir
W G Sebald
Michele Roberts
Philip K Dick
Patricia Duncker
Lavinia Greenlaw
Muriel Spark
Malcolm Bradbury
Paul Magrs
Ali Smith
Howard Jacobson
Eden Sharp
Angela Carter
Ian Rankin
Giles Foden
Christopher Bigsby
J R R Tolkien
Lewis Carroll
George R R Martin
D H Lawrence
Angus Wilson
Stephen Hawking
C S Lewis
Isaac Asimov
Alexander McCall Smith
Andrew Motion
G K Chesterton
Russell Celyn Jones
(For anyone who can’t possibly wait the answers can be found here)
Malcolm Bradbury, David Lodge, Howard Jacobson, CS Lewis, Iris Murdoch
That’s 0/5 Smita. I think you may have misread the rubric.
Or I’ve written it really badly
No it’s me. Doh!
Ian Ranking, Ali Smith, George Martin, Philip K Dick & Rose Tremain
Just 1/5 there Stephen
I’m impressed I got one right ☺
Philip K Dick, DH Lawrence, Muriel Spark, Lavinia Greenlaw,Jon McGregor
Good effort 3/5!
Philip K Dick, DH Lawrence, Muriel Spark, Isaac Asimov, George R R Martin
Nice try Chris – 3/5 isn’t too shabby
High 2:1 unless I am much mistaken.
Borderline
Second attempt : Dick, Lawrence, Spark, Hawking, Motion?
3/5. Bit of bunching in the scores here
Iris Murdoch, Ian Rankin, George RR Martin, DH Lawrence, Ali Smith
Yikes that was meant to be Muriel Spark,not iris Murdoch
It’s a slightly dodgy 2/5 there Caroline
This is really hard, so guessing it’s Lawrence, spark, Asimov, Martin and Dick. Does Lewis Carroll count because it’s just a nomdeplume and the academic behind that name used his real name for work? Too pathetic an attempt and clutching at straws?
Yep, clutching at straws is right. 3/5
*hangs head in shame* Has googled and knows answer now. Resubmit? Or does that way disqualification lie?
The specific instructions were not to Google…
Dick, Spark, Lawrence, Carter and Sebald.
Another 3/5 effort!
Dick, Lawrence, Spark, Rankin, Greenlaw
It’s good but it’s not right. Another 3/5
This is so like playing Cluedo, Paul. Of course, it’s the ‘no Google’ rule which is turning away the masses.
Asimov, Lawrence, Rankin, Spark, Forden?
Foden, that last one is…
A rather weak 2/5 there I’m afraid
Sigh…