Remarkable People

Is this your profile? Click here to recommend more solutions or organizations.

Clive James

An Australian author, critic, broadcaster, poet and memoirist

He is best known for his autobiographical series Unreliable Memoirs, for his chat shows and documentaries on British television and for his prolific journalism. He has lived and worked in the United Kingdom since the early 1960s.

An IQ test taken in childhood put his IQ at 140. He was educated at Sydney Technical High School (despite winning a bursary to Sydney Boys High School) and the University of Sydney, where he studied psychology and became associated with the Sydney Push, a libertarian, intellectual subculture. At the university he edited the student newspaper Honi Soit and directed the annual Union Revue. After graduating, James worked for a year as an assistant editor for The Sydney Morning Herald.

In early 1962, James moved to England, where he made his home. During his first three years in London he shared a flat with the Australian film director Bruce Beresford (disguised as Dave Dalziel in the first three volumes of James' memoirs), was a neighbour of Australian artist Brett Whiteley, became acquainted with Barry Humphries (disguised as Bruce Jennings), and had a variety of occasionally disastrous short term jobs (sheet metal worker, library assistant, photo archivist, market researcher).

James later gained a place at Pembroke College, Cambridge to read English literature. Whilst there he contributed to all the undergraduate periodicals, was a member and later President of the Cambridge Footlights, and appeared on University Challenge as captain of the Pembroke team. During one summer vacation, he worked as a circus roustabout in order to save enough money to travel to Italy. His contemporaries at Cambridge included Germaine Greer (known as Romaine Rand in the first three volumes of his memoirs) and Eric Idle. Having, he claims, scrupulously avoided reading any of the course material (but having read widely otherwise in English and foreign literature), James graduated with a 2:1—better than he had expected—and began a PhD on Percy Bysshe Shelley

(Profile information sourced from Wikipedia and other publicly available internet sources.)

Clive James on the web

Wikipedia: Clive James
Website: clivejames.com

My Recommended Businesses and Solutions, Products, Services

Burma Campaign UK

28 Charles Square, London, N1 6HT

p: +44 (0)207 324 4710

Email | Web

Burma Campaign UK

Organization

We are an award winning organisation working for the promotion of human rights, democracy and development in Burma.

In working for these objectives we follow the policies of Burma’s democracy movement.

Founded in 1991, Burma Campaign UK is one of the leading Burma campaign organisations in the world. We play a leading role in raising awareness about the situation in Burma, and pressuring the international community to take action in support of the people of Burma.

Key achievements

As part of a global campaign, we persuaded the United Nations Security Council to discuss Burma for the first time. The Security Council continues to be engaged on Burma.
We persuaded the British government to double aid to Burma, and to fund cross-border aid in order to reach ethnic people that the regime doesn’t allow aid to be delivered to.
We have generated thousands of stories about Burma in the media, ensuring the world does not ignore the crisis there.
We have persuaded many large multi-national companies providing revenue to the dictatorship to end their involvement in Burma.
We have met with the British Prime Minister, and many other senior politicians around the world, ensuring the message of Burma’s democracy movement is heard by global decision makers.
We provide support and training to Burmese exile organisations and individuals, building the capacity of people from Burma to speak out and influence the international community.
We help to coordinate and build Burma campaign groups worldwide, building a strong solidarity movement to help the people of Burma.
We are a small organisation dependent of public support. We do not receive any government funding. If you would like to support Burma Campaign UK, click here

Commendations for Burma Campaign UK
“Thank you for all that you have done to help the cause of democracy in Burma.”
Aung San Suu Kyi

“The Burma Campaign UK has played a key role in pushing Burma further up both the government and the media agenda.”
Jon Snow, Journalist, Channel 4 News

“Hats off to the Burma Campaign for their strenuous efforts…”
The Guardian

“The Burma Campaign UK is the world’s leading organisation dedicated to campaigning for freedom and democracy in Burma.”
Glenys Kinnock

“We can see your strength and your strong determination. We really appreciate your work.”
Federation of Trade Unions – Burma

“I can say with confidence that the Burma Campaign UK is a powerful advocate for Burma’s pro-democracy movement in Europe. I urge you to support them in every way possible.”
Dr Sein Win – Prime Minister, exiled National Coalition Government of Burma

“The Burma Campaign UK is a leading human rights pressure group.”
Financial Times

“Continued support for the Burma Campaign UK is of paramount importance now. International pressure - a major factor in bringing the generals to negotiate - must not be eased.”
UNISON