This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2012/jun/18/sydney-bolt-obituary

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Sydney Bolt obituary Sydney Bolt obituary
(1 day later)
My husband of nearly 62 years, the English teacher and critic Sydney Bolt, has died aged 92. He wore his vast learning lightly, and his genial wit and gift for anecdote endeared him to generations of students.My husband of nearly 62 years, the English teacher and critic Sydney Bolt, has died aged 92. He wore his vast learning lightly, and his genial wit and gift for anecdote endeared him to generations of students.
Sydney was the son of a Manchester furniture dealer. His older brother, Robert, became a playwright and screenwriter. Sydney won an exhibition to Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1938 and was a prominent member of the university's communist movement, alongside such intellectual greats as Eric Hobsbawm and John Maynard Smith. When the second world war broke out, he interrupted his studies to join up and was posted to India, where he was a major in intelligence, and where we met. Sydney was the son of a Manchester furniture dealer. His younger brother, Robert, became a playwright and screenwriter. Sydney won an exhibition to Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1938 and was a prominent member of the university's communist movement, alongside such intellectual greats as Eric Hobsbawm and John Maynard Smith. When the second world war broke out, he interrupted his studies to join up and was posted to India, where he was a major in intelligence, and where we met.
After the war he spent several years as a successful executive in a merchant shipping company in Pakistan, before returning to Britain and discovering his true vocation as a teacher of English. Both as head of English at Cambridgeshire College of Arts and Technology (now Anglia Ruskin University), and supervisor in English at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, he was legendary for his ability to communicate his passion for, and powerful insights into, English literature, especially poetry, while never compromising intellectual rigour.After the war he spent several years as a successful executive in a merchant shipping company in Pakistan, before returning to Britain and discovering his true vocation as a teacher of English. Both as head of English at Cambridgeshire College of Arts and Technology (now Anglia Ruskin University), and supervisor in English at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, he was legendary for his ability to communicate his passion for, and powerful insights into, English literature, especially poetry, while never compromising intellectual rigour.
He published a number of books, including The Right Response (1966), a guide to practical criticism; A Preface to James Joyce (1981); and a volume on Hamlet in the Penguin Masterstudies series (1985) – the latter two reflecting his greatest literary loves. His achievement as a teacher was recognised by his appointment to the Council for National Academic Awards, as an assessor of university degree courses in English.He published a number of books, including The Right Response (1966), a guide to practical criticism; A Preface to James Joyce (1981); and a volume on Hamlet in the Penguin Masterstudies series (1985) – the latter two reflecting his greatest literary loves. His achievement as a teacher was recognised by his appointment to the Council for National Academic Awards, as an assessor of university degree courses in English.
He is survived by me, our daughter, Khurshid, and our sons, Paul and Ranjit. Robert died in 1995.He is survived by me, our daughter, Khurshid, and our sons, Paul and Ranjit. Robert died in 1995.