Peter Preston, the wordsmith magician
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https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/jan/18/peter-preston-the-wordsmith-magician Version 1 of 3. Letters Thu 18 Jan 2018 19.03 GMT Last modified on Thu 18 Jan 2018 22.00 GMT Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share via Email View more sharing options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Google+ Share on WhatsApp Share on Messenger Close I was pleased to note Alan Travis’s reference to Peter Preston’s membership of the Magic Circle (A colleague, an editor and a friend. Peter Preston remembered, 9 January). I was four years behind him at Loughborough grammar school and remember him performing his magic tricks at the annual school concert, culminating in inviting a member of staff to place his arm in a mini-guillotine. Bandages etc were produced and the blade tested on a carrot. But no blood was shed. Preston (no forenames permitted at LGS) also gave a memorable recital of Eliot’s Macavity the mystery cat as his contribution to the declamation competition. The magic tricks, despite his affliction, showed the spirit and determination that he went on to display at the Guardian.John MoretonBirmingham • Peter Preston was not just a great writer and journalist but a totally reliable one too. I have now edited (with others) 22 books on matters journalistic – the latest, Brexit, Trump and the Media, published late last year. Peter’s contributions were a cornerstone of more than half of them over the last decade. He always wrote brilliantly, always eloquently and willingly. The process is simple: we invented a topic to cover – phone hacking, Leveson, the death of print, the putative death of the BBC or of Channel 4 – and invited a cast of authors to contribute. Peter was always primus inter pares – and our first port of call. He would choose his own furrow to plough on the subject under investigation. He did not really need an editor in advance or any subbing after. He was self-editing. He delivered his copy condignly within deadline, always pasted on an email, never in a Word document. Every word was a gem, carefully chosen, every idea original, all worthy reading. We could ask for no more. Our Abramis “hackademic” series is much enriched by the writings of Peter Preston. We are grateful to him – so too the readers. Farewell, great wordsmith. We shall miss you.John MairLead editor, Abramis Hackademic series 2002-present • Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com • Read more Guardian letters – click here to visit gu.com/letters Peter Preston Magic The Guardian Newspapers Newspapers & magazines National newspapers letters Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share via Email Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Google+ Share on WhatsApp Share on Messenger Reuse this content |