Brian Sibley

Brian Sibley (born July 14, 1949) is an English writer. He is author of over 100 hours of radio drama and has written and presented hundreds of radio documentaries, features and weekly programmes.

Born in London, he grew up and was educated in Chislehurst, Kent.

In 1981, he co-wrote BBC Radio 4's adaptation of Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" with Michael Bakewell, and has also adapted C. S. Lewis's "The Chronicles of Narnia" and Mervyn Peake's "Titus Groan" and "Gormenghast" for Radio 4, for which he received a Sony Radio Award in 1985.

Other major radio dramatisations by Sibley include: John Bunyan's "The Pilgrim's Progress"; Tolkien's "Tales of the Perilous Realm"; Roald Dahl's "Danny, the Champion of the World"; Lucy M. Boston's "The Children of Green Knowe", Laurens van der Post's "The Night of the New Moon", J. B. Priestley's "The Thirty-First of June", Jeffrey Archer's "A Matter of Honour", Frank Baker's "Miss Hargreaves", James Thurber's "The Wonderful O" and two seasons of "Ray Bradbury's Tales of the Bizarre".

Original radio plays include: "...And Yet Another Partridge in a Pear Tree", starring Penelope Keith, "C. S. Lewis: Northern Irishman" and "It's Too Late Now".

As a broadcaster, he was a contributor to and then regular presenter of the former BBC Radio 4 arts programme "Kaleidoscope" and the BBC World Service arts magazine, "Meridian". He also presented the Radio 4 film programme, "Talking Pictures" and chaired the radio panel games "Break A Leg" and "Screen Test".

He also presented several season's of the BBC television programme, "First Light".

Radio features and documentaries for Radio 4, Radio 2 and the World Service have included programmes devoted to Sherlock Holmes, Jack the Ripper, Robin Hood, Dracula, Peter Pan, Winnie-the-Pooh, Alice in Wonderland and the life and work of Ambrose Bierce, Robert Raikes, Harry Houdini, Terry Pratchett, George Orwell, Roald Dahl, Ray Bradbury, Richmal Crompton, Fred Zinnemann, Jim Henson and Julie Andrews.

Key series for Radio 2, made in collaboration with producer Malcolm Prince include "Ain't No Mickey Mouse Business", "Disney's Women", "David Puttnam's Century of Cinema", "Ain't No Mickey Mouse Music" and "No Place Life Home: A Judy Garland Story". His book, Shadowlands was serialized on Radio 2, read by Ian Richardson in his last piece of broadcast work recorded before his death.

The Daily Telegraph radio critic, Gillian Reynolds gave him the accolade "magician of the airwaves".

Books include "The Disney Studio Story" and "Mickey Mouse: His Life and Times" (with Richard Holliss); "The Land of Narnia", illustrated by Pauline Baynes; "The Treasury of Narnia" (with Alison Sage); "Shadowlands: The True Story of C. S. Lewis and Joy Davidman"; "The Book of Guinness Advertising"; a biography of Wilbert Vere Awdry, entitled "The Thomas the Tank Engine Man"; "A Christmas Carol: The Unsung Story"; "Cracking Animation: The Aardman book of 3-D Film-making", with Peter Lord; "Chicken Run: Hatching the Movie"; "Three Cheers for Pooh"; and "The Maps of Tolkien's Middle-earth" with artist John Howe.

He is also the author of the children's book, "The Frightful Food Feud", and has edited, among other books, "The Pooh Sketchbook" and "The Pooh Book of Quotations" and "The Wisdom of C. S. Lewis".

The author of the "The Lord of the Rings: The Making of the Movie Trilogy" and other books accompanying the Lord of the Rings, he subsequently published the official biography of the films' director, "Peter Jackson: A Film-maker's Journey".

His most recent books include "The Golden Compass: The Official Illustrated Movie Companion", "Mary Poppins: Anything Can Happen if You Let It" (with Michael Lassell) and a retelling of "50 Favourite Bible Stories" selected and read on CD by Cliff Richard and illustrated by Stephen Waterhouse.

He recorded DVD audio commentary for "Around the World in 80 Days" (1956 film).

A member of the Magic Circle (Associate of the Inner Magic Circle), he wrote "the House of 10,000 Secrets" on the history of magic and the Magic Circle.

He is an Honorary Member of the Tolkien Society; a former Secretary of the Lewis Carroll Society; a former Secretary and Chairman of the Mervyn Peake Society; and a former (founding) Chairman of the Beatrix Potter Society. He was, for several years, a member of the management Committee of the Society of Authors and Chairman of the Society's Broadcasting Committee.

He lives in London with his civil partner, magician David Weeks.

External links

* [http://www.briansibley.com Official website]
* [http://briansibleysblog.blogspot.com Daily blog site]