Katharine Elizabeth Whitehorn (2 March 1928 – 8 January 2021) was a British journalist,
columnist
A columnist is a person who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Column (newspaper), Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs. They take the fo ...
, author and radio presenter. She was the first woman to have a
column
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. ...
in ''
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 ...
'', which ran from 1963 to 1996 and from 2011 to 2017. She was the first female
rector
Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to:
Style or title
*Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations
*Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...
of a
university in Scotland. Her books include ''Cooking in a Bedsitter'' (1961).
Early life
Whitehorn was born in
Hendon
Hendon is an urban area in the Borough of Barnet, North-West London northwest of Charing Cross. Hendon was an ancient manor and parish in the county of Middlesex and a former borough, the Municipal Borough of Hendon; it has been part of Great ...
on 2 March 1928.
[ ] Her family was on the
left
Left may refer to:
Music
* ''Left'' (Hope of the States album), 2006
* ''Left'' (Monkey House album), 2016
* "Left", a song by Nickelback from the album ''Curb'', 1996
Direction
* Left (direction), the relative direction opposite of right
* L ...
of the political spectrum and nonconformist, with her father being a
conscientious objector
A conscientious objector (often shortened to conchie) is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, or religion. The term has also been extended to object ...
and her mother having secured a place to study at the
University of Cambridge
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
. Her maternal great-grandfather was the final person to be charged with
heresy
Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, in particular the accepted beliefs of a church or religious organization. The term is usually used in reference to violations of important religi ...
by the
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland.
The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Scottish Reformation, Reformation of 1560, when it split from t ...
; he was ultimately acquitted.
[ Whitehorn was educated at the private ]Roedean School
Roedean School is an independent day and boarding school founded in 1885 in Roedean Village on the outskirts of Brighton, East Sussex, England, and governed by Royal Charter. It is for girls aged 11 to 18. The campus is situated near the Sus ...
near Brighton
Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London.
Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...
, and Glasgow High School for Girls
The High School of Glasgow is an independent, co-educational day school in Glasgow, Scotland. The original High School of Glasgow was founded as the choir school of Glasgow Cathedral in around 1124, and is the oldest school in Scotland, and t ...
. She went on to read English at Newnham College, Cambridge
Newnham College is a women's Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge.
The college was founded in 1871 by a group organising Lectures for Ladies, members of which included philosopher Henry Sid ...
. After graduation, she worked as a freelancer
''Freelance'' (sometimes spelled ''free-lance'' or ''free lance''), ''freelancer'', or ''freelance worker'', are terms commonly used for a person who is self-employed and not necessarily committed to a particular employer long-term. Freelance w ...
in London, before moving to Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
to teach English and undertaking postgraduate studies
Postgraduate or graduate education refers to academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate ( bachelor's) degree.
The organization and stru ...
at Cornell University
Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...
.[ ]
Career
Journalism, writing and broadcasting
Whitehorn started her career in journalism covering fashion, and was a sub-editor for the ''Woman's Own
''Woman's Own'' is a British lifestyle magazine aimed at women.
Publication
''Woman's Own'' was first published in 1932 by Newnes. In its early years it placed women's rights and social problems firmly in the foreground. Its first "agony aunt" was ...
'' women's magazine
This is a list of women's magazines from around the world. These are magazines that have been published primarily for a readership of women.
Currently published
*'' 10 Magazine'' (UK - distributed worldwide)
*'' Al Jamila'' (Saudi Arabia)
*''All ...
in 1956, when the ''Picture Post
''Picture Post'' was a photojournalistic magazine published in the United Kingdom from 1938 to 1957. It is considered a pioneering example of photojournalism and was an immediate success, selling 1,700,000 copies a week after only two months. ...
'' photographer Bert Hardy
Albert William Thomas Hardy (19 May 1913 – 3 July 1995) was an English documentary and press photographer known for his work published in the ''Picture Post'' magazine between 1941 and 1957.
Life and work
Born in Blackfriars, Bert Hardy rose ...
asked her to model for him. He photographed her for a story on loneliness in London, and one photograph of her sitting by a fire with a cigarette, as if thinking to write an article instead of being lonely, became an advertisement for the energy drink Lucozade
Lucozade is a British brand of soft drink manufactured and marketed by the Japanese company Suntory. Created as "Glucozade" in the UK in 1927 by a Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Newcastle pharmacist, William Walker Hunter (trading as W. Owen & Son), it ...
.[ On Hardy's recommendation, she got a job writing for the ''Picture Post'', where her future husband, ]Gavin Lyall
Gavin Tudor Lyall (9 May 1932 – 18 January 2003) was an English author of Spy fiction, espionage thrillers.
Biography
Lyall was born in Birmingham, then in Warwickshire (now West Midlands (county), West Midlands), England, as the son of a loc ...
, also worked. After it closed in 1957, she briefly worked for various publications, including ''The Spectator
''The Spectator'' is a weekly British magazine on politics, culture, and current affairs. It was first published in July 1828, making it the oldest surviving weekly magazine in the world.
It is owned by Frederick Barclay, who also owns ''The ...
'', before joining ''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 ...
'' in 1960, initially as fashion editor. She was promoted to an ''Observer'' columnist in 1963, becoming the first woman to write a column
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. ...
in that newspaper. Her column proved popular with readers, and she continued to write it until 1996, working partly from home, which was unusual at the time. From 1997 to 2016, she wrote a monthly agony aunt column for ''Saga Magazine
Saga is a British company focused on serving the needs of those aged 50 and over. It has 2.7 million customers. The company operates sites on the Kent and Sussex coast: Enbrook Park and Priory Square. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange.
...
''. Whitehorn's column was reinstated in ''The Observer'' magazine by John Mulholland in 2011 and continued to appear until 2017.
Her initial book, ''Cooking in a Bedsitter'' (originally ''Kitchen in the Corner: A Complete Guide to Bedsitter Cookery'') – first published in 1961 and a classic of its kind – remained in print for thirty-five years and was republished in 2008. She later published a series of books, ''How to Survive...'', including ''Social Survival'' (1968). In 2007 she published her autobiography, ''Selective Memory''.
Her writing is characterised by the ''Observer'' columnist Barbara Ellen as "defiantly human, female liberal, sane, amused, authentic and often revolutionary in its candid audacity." Ellen considers Whitehorn a "feminist voice", and describes her as skilled at "evoking the pathos and humour of chaotic female life". Her 1963 article on sluts, in the sense of 'slovenly women', in which Whitehorn identified herself with the term, created a minor sensation:
Have you ever taken anything out of the dirty-clothes basket because it had become, relatively, the cleaner thing? Changed stockings in a taxi? Could you try on clothes in any shop, any time, without worrying about your underclothes? How many things are in the wrong room—cups in the study, boots in the kitchen?
In 2009, Whitehorn began presenting some editions of the short philosophical Friday evening programme on Radio 4 entitled ''A Point of View''. She was interviewed by National Life Stories
National Life Stories is an independent charitable trust and limited company (registered as the ‘National Life Story Collection’) based within the British Library Oral History section, whose key focus and expertise is oral history fieldwork. S ...
(C467/19) in 2009 for the 'Oral History of the British Press' collection held by the British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and is one of the largest libraries in the world. It is estimated to contain between 170 and 200 million items from many countries. As a legal deposit library, the British ...
.[National Life Stories, 'Whitehorn, Katharine (1 of 7) National Life Stories Collection: 'Oral History of the British Press', The British Library Board, 2009]
. Retrieved 10 October 2017.
Administrative roles
In addition to her career in journalism, Whitehorn was involved in several committees. In 1965–1967, she sat on a committee chaired by the judge John Latey, which reviewed reducing the UK's age of majority from 21 to 18, and contributed to making its report easy to read. The committee's recommendation was accepted in the Family Law Reform Act of 1969.[ She was also a member of an advisory panel to the BBC, which reviewed television's effects on society (1971–1972).][
From 1982 to 1985, Whitehorn served as 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 ...
: the first woman rector of a Scottish university
There are fifteen universities in Scotland and three other institutions of higher education that have the authority to award academic degrees.
The first university college in Scotland was founded at St John's College, St Andrews in 1418 by He ...
. In recognition of her pioneering role, Whitehorn Hall, St Andrews, was named after her. She also served as vice-president of the Patients Association
The Patients Association is an independent charity operating in the UK that aims to improve patients' experience of healthcare. Established in 1963, it became a registered charity in 1991. The Patients Association works with patients directly: ...
(1983–1996), a charity advocating for patients' rights, and advised the Institute for Global Ethics The Institute for Global Ethics (abbreviated IGE) is a 501(c)(3) nonsectarian, nonpartisan, global research and educational non-profit organization based in Middleton, Wisconsin.
History
With initial funding provided by the W.K. Kellogg Foundatio ...
(1993–2011).[
]
Personal life and honours
Whitehorn married spy fiction
Spy fiction is a genre of literature involving espionage as an important context or plot device. It emerged in the early twentieth century, inspired by rivalries and intrigues between the major powers, and the establishment of modern intelligen ...
novelist Gavin Lyall
Gavin Tudor Lyall (9 May 1932 – 18 January 2003) was an English author of Spy fiction, espionage thrillers.
Biography
Lyall was born in Birmingham, then in Warwickshire (now West Midlands (county), West Midlands), England, as the son of a loc ...
in 1958.[ They had two sons: Bernard (a television editor) and Jake (an actor).][ She found it difficult to cope with her husband's death in 2003, writing: "You don't 'get over' the man, though you do after a year or two get over the death. But you have to learn to live in another country in which you're an unwilling refugee".][
In 2004, the ]National Portrait Gallery, London
The National Portrait Gallery (NPG) is an art gallery in London housing a collection of portraits of historically important and famous British people. It was arguably the first national public gallery dedicated to portraits in the world when it ...
acquired three portraits of Whitehorn by the photographer J.S. Lewinksi. Whitehorn was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
(CBE) in the 2014 New Year Honours
The New Year Honours 2014 were appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Honours are awarded as part of the New Year celebrati ...
for services to journalism. This came about 50 years after she initially declined an honour.
It was reported in 2018 that she was living in a care home with Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegeneration, neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in short-term me ...
. Her home in Hampstead
Hampstead () is an area in London, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, and extends from Watling Street, the A5 road (Roman Watling Street) to Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland. The area forms the northwest part of the Lon ...
was sold, and her sons auctioned her writing desk, with the proceeds going to Dementia UK.[ Whitehorn died on 8 January 2021, at a care home in north London.] She was 92, and had been diagnosed with COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
during the COVID-19 pandemic in England
The COVID-19 pandemic was first confirmed to have spread to England with two cases among Chinese nationals staying in a hotel in York on 31 January 2020. The two main public bodies responsible for health in England are NHS England and Public ...
in the time leading up to her death, although it is not known if this contributed to her death.
Selected bibliography
* ''Cooking in a Bedsitter'' (originally entitled ''Kitchen in the Corner: A Complete Guide to Bedsitter Cookery''; 1961)
* ''Roundabout'' (articles reprinted from ''The Spectator'') ondon : Methuen & Co., 1962
* ''Only on Sundays'' ondon : Methuen, 1966
* ''Observations'' ondon : Methuen, 1970
* ''Sunday Best'' ondon : Eyre Methuen, 1976
* ''View from a Column'' ondon : Eyre Methuen, 1981
* ''Selective Memory'' by Katharine Whitehorn, 2007, published by Little Brown
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Whitehorn, Katherine
1928 births
2021 deaths
20th-century English women writers
20th-century English non-fiction writers
21st-century English women writers
21st-century British non-fiction writers
Alumni of Newnham College, Cambridge
Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
Deaths from Alzheimer's disease
Neurological disease deaths in England
English columnists
Journalists from London
People educated at Roedean School, East Sussex
People educated at the High School of Glasgow
People from Hampstead
People from Hendon
Rectors of the University of St Andrews
Writers from London