Richard Norton-Taylor
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Richard Norton-Taylor | |
|---|---|
| Born | Richard Seymour Norton-Taylor 4 June 1944 |
| Education | Hertford College(University of Oxford) |
| Occupation(s) | Editor,journalistandplaywright |
| Spouse | Anna C. Rendle (m. 1967) |
| Children | Sam Norton-Taylor, Hugo Benedict Norton-Taylor |
| Relatives | 5 grandchildren |
Richard Seymour Norton-Taylor(born 6 June 1944)[1]is a Britisheditor,journalist,andplaywright.He wrote forThe Guardianon defence and security matters from 1975 to 2016, and was the newspaper's security editor. He now works for the investigative journalism siteDeclassified UK.[2]
Early life and education
[edit]He was born to Lt. Seymour Norton-Taylor, R.A., and Gweneth Joan Powell (died 9 January 1978).
Norton-Taylor was educated atThe King's SchoolinCanterbury,Kent,going on to study atHertford College,aconstituent collegeof theUniversity of Oxford,and theCollege of EuropeinBruges.[1]
Career
[edit]He was theEuropean CommunityandBrussels,Belgiumcorrespondent for bothThe Washington PostandNewsweekbetween 1967 and 1975, while also contributing toThe Economistand theFinancial Times.
Norton-Taylor joinedThe Guardianin 1975, concentrating onWhitehall,official secrecy, and behind-the-scenes decision-making. He became an expert on British and Soviet intelligence activities during theSecond World War.In 1988, he made an extended appearance on the TV discussion programmeAfter Dark,alongside (among others)Harold Musgrove,Hilary WainwrightandGeorge Brumwell,discussing his bookBlacklist: The Inside Story of Political Vetting,co-written with Mark Hollingsworth.
He has written several plays based on transcripts of public inquiries, includingThe Colour of Justice(1999), based on the hearing of theMacPherson Inquiryinto the police conduct of the investigation into themurder of Stephen Lawrence.[3]Another wasJustifying War: Scenes from the Hutton Inquiry(2003), both of which premiered at theTricycle Theatre.
Norton-Taylor leftThe Guardianin July 2016[4]and currently writes forDeclassified UK.[5]
Awards
[edit]In 1986 Norton-Taylor won theFreedom of Information Campaignaward. That same year he was prevented initially by a court injunction from reporting the contents ofSpycatcher(1987), the memoirs ofPeter Wright,a formerMI5agent. The government's injunction was dismissed in the High Court byLord Justice Scott.
Norton-Taylor was one of the few journalists to cover theScott Inquiryfrom start to finish. His play,Half the Picture,based on the inquiry, received a 1994Time OutDrama, Comedy and Dance award for its "brave initiative".
In 2010, with fellowGuardianjournalistIan Cobain,he was awarded a Human Rights Campaign of the Year Award fromLibertyfor their "investigation into Britain's complicity in the use of torture" by the United States against detainees at their facility atGuantanamo Bayand atblack sites.[6]
Personal life
[edit]In 1967, he married Anna C Rendle, eldest daughter of Mr and Mrs J E Rendle, ofKemerton,nearTewkesbury,Gloucestershire.[7]
Norton-Taylor is a Member of Council of theRoyal United Services Instituteand a trustee of the Civil Liberties Trust and the London Action Trust.
He has two children and five grandchildren.
See also
[edit]
- British playwrights since 1950
- List of English writers
- List of playwrights by nationality and year of birth
- List of people from Kent
- List of University of Oxford people
References
[edit]- ^abNorton-Taylor, Richard (2 June 2019)."I was a D-day baby, but at least I wasn't called Dwight".The Guardian.Retrieved8 April2023.
- ^Norton-Taylor, Richard (28 September 2021)."How British journalists are seduced by the Ministry of Defence and spooks".Declassified UK.Retrieved8 April2023.
- ^Clapp, Susannah(17 January 1999)."Here is racism in all of its subtle shades".The Observer.Retrieved7 April2023.
- ^Norton-Taylor, Richard (18 July 2016)."'Brussels was paradise for journalists... and full of spies'".The Guardian.p. 31.Retrieved7 April2023.
- ^"RICHARD NORTON-TAYLOR, Author at Declassified UK".Declassified UK.
- ^Liberty,List of previous winners
- ^"Forthcoming marriages".The Times.16 June 1967. p. 12.
External links
[edit]- Richard Norton-Taylor on Twitter
- Richard Norton-Taylor's articles,GuardianUnlimited website
- Richard Norton-TayloratIMDb
- Richard Norton-Taylor at doollee, the playwright's database
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
- 1944 births
- Living people
- Alumni of Hertford College, Oxford
- British investigative journalists
- English dramatists and playwrights
- English male dramatists and playwrights
- English male journalists
- English newspaper editors
- English political writers
- English reporters and correspondents
- Financial Times people
- Newsweek people
- People educated at The King's School, Canterbury
- Writers from Canterbury
- The Economist people
- The Guardian journalists
- The Washington Post journalists
- Writers from London
- College of Europe alumni