Laurence Lerner, British literary critic, Died at 90

  Educator, Writers

Laurence (David) Lerner was born on December 12, 1925, in Cape Town and died at January 19, 2016.

He was often called Larry.

He was a South African born British literary critic and poet and novelist.

Lerner Jewish father Israel was from Zhitomir, Ukraine and his mother May from Abinger Hammer, England.

Laurence Lerner received his educated at St George’s Grammar School, Cape Town, the University of Cape Town and Pembroke College, Cambridge.

Laurence was lecturer in English, at the University College of the Gold Coast, 1949–53, tutor then lecturer in English, Queen’s University, Belfast, 1953–62, lecturer then reader then professor of English, University of Sussex 1962-84, and Edwin W Mims Professor of English, at the Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, 1985-95.

Mr.Lerner won the 1991 Harvie Branscomb Distinguished Professor Award.

Laurence Lerner taught in many universities around the world in addition to those where he had jobs in Munich, Dijon, various in the USA and Canada, Kashmir, Wurzburg, Vienna, and British Council lecture tours in France, Germany, Spain, South America, Turkey and India.

All his contribution and experiences led to his most personal book, Wandering Professor.

Laurence Lerner published nine collections of poetry, three novels, ten books of literary criticism, reflections on English language usage and life as a professor, and lectures, essays and poems.

Mr.Lerner edited two anthologies of modern literary criticism of Shakespeare’s plays for Penguin books which were widely used by A level students in the UK.

Laurence Lerner passed away at 90 yrs old.