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Alan Coren (27 June 1938 – 18 October 2007) was an English humourist, writer and

satirist This is an incomplete list of writers, cartoonists and others known for involvement in satire – humorous social criticism. They are grouped by era and listed by year of birth. Included is a list of modern satires. Under Contemporary, 1930-1960 ...

who was a regular panellist on the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

...

radio

quiz A quiz is a form of game or mind sport in which players attempt to answer questions correctly on one or several specific topics. Quizzes can be used as a brief Educational assessment, assessment in education and similar fields to measure growth ...

The News Quiz ''The News Quiz'' is a British topical panel game broadcast on BBC Radio 4. History ''The News Quiz'' was first broadcast in 1977 with Barry Norman as chairman. Subsequently, it was chaired by Barry Took from 1979 to 1981, Simon Hoggart from ...

'' and a team captain on BBC television's ''

Call My Bluff ''Call My Bluff'' is a British panel game show based on the short-lived US version of the same name. It was originally hosted by Robin Ray and later, most notably, by Robert Robinson. Its most prominent panellist was Frank Muir. Format The g ...

''. Coren was also a journalist, and for almost a decade was the editor of ''

Punch Punch commonly refers to: * Punch (combat), a strike made using the hand closed into a fist * Punch (drink), a wide assortment of drinks, non-alcoholic or alcoholic, generally containing fruit or fruit juice Punch may also refer to: Places * Pun ...

'' magazine.

Early life

Alan Coren was born into an

Orthodox Jewish Orthodox Judaism is the collective term for the traditionalist and theologically conservative branches of contemporary Judaism. Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Written and Oral, as revealed by God to Moses on M ...

family in

East Barnet East Barnet is an area of north London within the London Borough of Barnet bordered by New Barnet, Cockfosters and Southgate. It is a largely residential suburb whose central area contains shops, public houses, restaurants and services, and ...

, Hertfordshire, in 1938, the son of builder and plumber Samuel Coren and his wife Martha, a hairdresser. In the introduction to ''Chocolate and Cuckoo Clocks: The Essential Alan Coren'', Giles and Victoria Coren conclude that Samuel Coren was "an odd job man really" and had also apparently been a debt collector. Note that there is some uncertainty regarding the father's occupation: the source describes him as "A plumber?...That's what they said...He was an odd job man really."

Education

Coren was educated at Osidge Primary School and East Barnet Grammar School, followed by

Wadham College Wadham College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is located in the centre of Oxford, at the intersection of Broad Street and Parks Road. Wadham College was founded in 1610 by Dorothy W ...

at the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

to which he gained a scholarship, and where he got a

first First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...

in English in 1960. After taking a master's degree he studied for a doctorate in modern American literature at

Yale Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...

and the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...

Life and career

Coren considered an

academic An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary education, secondary or tertiary education, tertiary higher education, higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membershi ...

career but instead decided to become a writer and journalist. In his later life he distanced himself from his

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

heritage, being 'slightly embarrassed' and stating in an interview with ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'', 'I haven't been Jewish for years!'. He began this career by selling articles to ''

'' and was later offered a full-time job there. At this time he also wrote for ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...

''.

Magazine editorships

In 1966, he became ''Punch''s literary editor, becoming deputy editor in 1969 and editor in 1977. He remained as editor until 1987 when the circulation began to decline. During the week in which he took over the editorship, ''

The Jewish Chronicle ''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...

'' published a profile of him. His response was to rush around the office, waving a copy of the relevant edition, saying: "This is ridiculous – I haven't been Jewish for years!" When Coren left ''Punch'' in 1987, he became editor of '' The Listener'', continuing in that role until 1989.

Columns

From 1971 to 1978, Coren wrote a television review column for ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...

''. From 1972 to 1976 he wrote a humour column for the ''

Daily Mail The ''Daily Mail'' is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper and news websitePeter Wilb"Paul Dacre of the Daily Mail: The man who hates liberal Britain", ''New Statesman'', 19 December 2013 (online version: 2 January 2014) publish ...

''. He also wrote for ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the w ...

'', ''

Tatler ''Tatler'' is a British magazine published by Condé Nast Publications focusing on fashion and lifestyle, as well as coverage of high society and politics. It is targeted towards the British upper-middle class and upper class, and those interes ...

'' and ''The Times''. From 1984, Coren worked as a television critic for ''

The Mail on Sunday ''The Mail on Sunday'' is a British conservative newspaper, published in a tabloid format. It is the biggest-selling Sunday newspaper in the UK and was launched in 1982 by Lord Rothermere. Its sister paper, the '' Daily Mail'', was first pu ...

'' until he moved as a humorous columnist to the ''

Sunday Express The ''Daily Express'' is a national daily United Kingdom middle-market newspaper printed in tabloid format. Published in London, it is the flagship of Express Newspapers, owned by publisher Reach plc. It was first published as a broadsheet i ...

'', which he left in 1996. In 1989, he began to contribute a column in ''The Times'', which continued for the rest of his life.

Broadcasting

Coren began his broadcasting career in 1977. He was invited to be one of the regular panellists on

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...

's new

satirical Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming or e ...

quiz show, ''

''. He continued on ''The News Quiz'' until the year he died. From 1996 to 2004 he was one of two team captains on the UK panel game ''

''.

Scriptwriting

In 1978 he wrote '' The Losers'', an unsuccessful sitcom about a

wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...

promoter starring

Leonard Rossiter Leonard Rossiter (21 October 1926 – 5 October 1984) was an English actor. He had a long career in the theatre but achieved his highest profile for his television comedy roles starring as Rupert Rigsby in the ITV series ''Rising Damp'' from ...

and

Alfred Molina Alfred Molina (born Alfredo Molina; 24 May 1953) is a British-American actor known for his work on the stage and screen. He first rose to prominence in the West End, earning a nomination for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Newcomer in a Pla ...

Books

Coren published about twenty books during his life, many of which were collections of his newspaper columns, such as ''Golfing for Cats'' and ''The Cricklewood Diet''. From 1976 to 1983, he wrote the ''Arthur'' series of children's books. One of his most successful books, ''The Collected Bulletins of Idi Amin'' (a collection of his ''Punch'' articles about Amin) was rejected for publication in the United States on the grounds of racial sensitivity. These Bulletins were later made into a comedy album, ''

The Collected Broadcasts of Idi Amin ''The Collected Broadcasts of Idi Amin'' is a British comedy album parodying Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, released in 1975 on Transatlantic Records. It was performed by John Bird and written by Alan Coren, based on columns he wrote for ''Punch'' ma ...

'' with the actor John Bird. After the Tanzanian capture of Kampala in 1979 the American journalist Art Barrett discovered a copy of Coren's book on Idi Amin's bedside table. Coren's other books include ''The Dog It Was That Died'' (1965), ''The Sanity Inspector'' (1974), ''All Except The Bastard'' (1978), ''The Lady from Stalingrad Mansions'' (1978), ''Rhinestone as Big as the Ritz'' (1979), ''Tissues for Men'' (1981), ''Bumf'' (1984), ''Seems Like Old Times: a Year in the Life of Alan Coren'' (1989), ''More Like Old Times'' (1990), ''A Year in Cricklewood'' (1991), ''Toujours Cricklewood?'' (1993), ''Alan Coren's Sunday Best'' (1993), ''A Bit on the Side'' (1995), ''Alan Coren Omnibus'' (1996), ''The Cricklewood Dome'' (1998), ''The Cricklewood Tapestry'' (2002) and ''Waiting for Jeffrey'' (2002). Coren's final book, ''69 For One'', was published late in 2007.

Honours

Alan Coren's Grave, Hampstead Cemetery - London

In 1973, Coren became the

Rector of the University of St Andrews The Lord Rector of the University of St Andrews is the president of the University Court of the University of St Andrews; the University Court is the supreme governing body of the University. Overview The Rector is elected every three years by ...

, after

John Cleese John Marwood Cleese ( ; born 27 October 1939) is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. Emerging from the Cambridge Footlights in the 1960s, he first achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and ...

. He held the position until 1976.

Later years

In May 2006, Coren was bitten by an insect that gave him

septicaemia Sepsis, formerly known as septicemia (septicaemia in British English) or blood poisoning, is a life-threatening condition that arises when the body's response to infection causes injury to its own tissues and organs. This initial stage is follo ...

, which led to his developing

necrotising fasciitis Necrotizing fasciitis (NF), also known as flesh-eating disease, is a bacterial infection that results in the death of parts of the body's soft tissue. It is a severe disease of sudden onset that spreads rapidly. Symptoms usually include red or p ...

Death

Coren died from

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissue (biology), tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from tran ...

in 2007 at his home in north London. His body was buried at

Hampstead Cemetery Hampstead Cemetery is a historic cemetery in West Hampstead, London, located at the upper extremity of the NW6 district. Despite the name, the cemetery is three-quarters of a mile from Hampstead Village, and bears a different postcode. It is j ...

in north

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. He was survived by his wife Anne (''née'' Kasriel), a consultant at

Moorfields Eye Hospital Moorfields Eye Hospital is a specialist NHS eye hospital in Finsbury in the London Borough of Islington in London, England run by Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Together with the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, which is adjacent ...

, whom he married in 1963, and their two children, Giles and

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

, who are both journalists. Coren's cousin

Michael Coren Michael Coren (born 15 January 1959) is a British-Canadian writer and clergyman. A long-time television personality, Coren hosted '' The Michael Coren Show'' on the Crossroads Television System from 1999 to 2011 before moving to the Sun News Ne ...

, who emigrated to Canada to become a journalist, credited him with much help."I seldom hear about her eather Mallick but did when she wrote an obsessively fawning piece after the British author and journalist Alan Coren died. The reason was that the noted editor and TV personality was my cousin, and a dear man who helped me more than I can say and whom I miss very much." Opinion column by Michael Coren, entitle
"Canada: a rogue state? Hardly
''Ottawa Sun'' 5 December 2013. An anthology of his writings, called ''The Essential Alan Coren – Chocolate and Cuckoo Clocks'' and edited by his children, was published on 2 October 2008.

References

External links

Alan Coren
at ''

'' * {{DEFAULTSORT:Coren, Alan 1938 births 2007 deaths British Jews British Jewish writers Alumni of Wadham College, Oxford Deaths from cancer in England English humorists English male journalists English magazine editors English satirists English Jewish writers Rectors of the University of St Andrews People educated at East Barnet School Burials at Hampstead Cemetery 20th-century English non-fiction writers 21st-century English writers Punch (magazine) people Writers from London Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni UC Berkeley College of Letters and Science alumni Jewish humorists Jewish English comedians Coren family