Michael Carson is the pen name of British author Michael Wherly. He is best known for his Benson
trilogy
A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected and can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, and video games, and are less common in other art forms. Three-part wor ...
of novels, about a young man growing up
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
and
homosexual
Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to peop ...
.
Childhood and education
Carson was born in 1946 in
Wallasey
Wallasey () is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in Merseyside, England; until 1974, it was part of the historic county of Cheshire. It is situated at the mouth of the River Mersey, at the north-eastern corner of the Wirral Pe ...
, in the north-west of England. He was brought up as a devout Catholic.
After attending
Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth () is a university and seaside town as well as a community in Ceredigion, Wales. Located in the historic county of Cardiganshire, means "the mouth of the Ystwyth". Aberystwyth University has been a major educational location in ...
and
Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
universities, and training at
International House World Organisation in London, he spent twenty years teaching
English as a Foreign Language
English as a second or foreign language is the use of English by speakers with different native languages. Language education for people learning English may be known as English as a second language (ESL), English as a foreign language (EF ...
primarily in the
Arab world
The Arab world ( ar, اَلْعَالَمُ الْعَرَبِيُّ '), formally the Arab homeland ( '), also known as the Arab nation ( '), the Arabsphere, or the Arab states, refers to a vast group of countries, mainly located in Western A ...
. He has lectured in writing at
Liverpool John Moores University
, mottoeng = Fortune favours the bold
, established = 1823 – Liverpool Mechanics' School of Arts1992 – Liverpool John Moores University
, type = Public
, endowment =
, coor ...
, the
University of Liverpool
, mottoeng = These days of peace foster learning
, established = 1881 – University College Liverpool1884 – affiliated to the federal Victoria Universityhttp://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/2004/4 University of Manchester Act 200 ...
and the
University of Lancaster
, mottoeng = Truth lies open to all
, established =
, endowment = £13.9 million
, budget = £317.9 million
, type = Public
, city = Bailrigg, City of Lancaster
, country = England
, coor =
, campus = Bailrigg
, faculty = 1 ...
. He mentors for Crossing Borders, a project to encourage African writers. Carson won the Writers Inc prize in 2006 for his story ''All over the Place.''
He has also worked as a
lifeguard
A lifeguard is a rescuer who supervises the safety and rescue of swimmers, surfers, and other water sports participants such as in a swimming pool, water park, beach, spa, river and lake. Lifeguards are trained in swimming and CPR/ AED first a ...
.
Short stories
Carson released a collection of short stories in 1993, ''Serving Suggestions'', published by Victor Gollancz (), which includes "
The Punishment of Luxury
"The Punishment of Luxury" is a short story written by Michael Carson. It was published within the book '' Serving Suggestions: Stories'' (a collection of 26 short stories) in 1993.
This utopian, or rather dystopian story deals with the conse ...
". A further collection of short stories, ''The Rule of Twelfths'', was published by Headland in May 2008. Fifty short stories by Michael Carson have also featured on
BBC Radio Four
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' ...
.
tellyouatale.com
Novels
Benson trilogy
*''Sucking Sherbet Lemons''
*''Stripping Penguins Bare''
*''Yanking Up The Yoyo''
*''Benson at Sixty'' (2011)
Other novels
*''Friends and Infidels''
*''Coming Up Roses''
*''Demolishing Babel''
*''Dying in Style''
*''Hubbies''
*''The Knight of the Flaming Heart''
* ''The Rule of Twelfths and Other Stories''
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carson, Michael
British writers
1946 births
Living people
People from Wallasey
Alumni of Aberystwyth University
Academics of Liverpool John Moores University
Academics of the University of Liverpool
Academics of Lancaster University