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Clive JAMES

Vivian Leopold James, AO, CBE, FRSL, (born 7 October, 1939), in Kogarah, NSW, known as Clive James, is an Australian author, best known for his autobiographical series Unreliable Memoirs, chat shows and documentaries on British television and prolific journalism.

James was the son of Albert Arthur James and Minora May nee Darke. As a child he was allowed to change his name to Clive. His father survived a Japanese POW camp but died when the aeroplane returning him to Australia crashed in Milne Bay. James, an only child, was brought up by his mother. He was educated at Sydney Technical High School, which was then located in Paddington, and the University of Sydney from 1957 to 1960. After graduation in 1961, he worked as a journalist with The Sydney Morning Herald.

In 1962, James moved to England. He gained a place at Pembroke College, Cambridge where he contributed to all the undergraduate periodicals, was President of the Cambridge Footlights and appeared on University Challenge.

In 1980, he published his first book of autobiography Unreliable Memoirs, rated by John Carey, as one of the most enjoyable books of the twentieth century. This was followed by four other books of autobiography:Falling Towards England (1985), May Week was in June (1990), North Face of Soho (2006), and The Blaze of Obscurity (2009).

James became a television critic and has written criticism extensively for newspapers, magazines and periodicals in Britain, Australia and the United States. His published works include literary criticism, biographies, essays, novels and poetry.

Clive James has lived and worked in the United Kingdom since 1962. He is married to Prudence Shaw and has two children, Claerwen and Lucinda.

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