J. A. Baker
John Alec Baker | |
---|---|
Born | Chelmsford, Essex, UK | 6 August 1926
Died | 26 December 1987 Chelmsford, Essex, UK | (aged 61)
Occupation | Author |
John Alec Baker (6 August 1926 – 26 December 1987) was an English author, best known for The Peregrine,[1] which won the Duff Cooper Prize in 1967.
Biography
Baker was born on 6 August 1926, the only son of engineering draughtsman Wilfred Baker and his wife Pansy, and lived all his life in
After several jobs in his early adulthood, he became the manager of the Chelmsford branch of
: 5On 6 October 1956 he married Doreen Grace Coe (1935 – 2006), a wages clerk at the AA. They had no children.[2]: 5, 23, 204
He read widely, and wrote both prose and poetry. His books are based largely on his observations of birds in the Essex countryside, especially in the area from Chelmsford to the coast. His birdwatching diaries run from 1954 to 1963; there is no evidence that he took notes in the field, but instead, on returning home, he wrote up his diaries.[2]: 23
He was unable to drive, despite working for the AA, and travelled by bicycle. In later life he was progressively crippled by severe ankylosing spondylitis, a type of arthritis.[2]: 203 From around 1970 his arthritis became increasingly severe, and by the 1980s he had to be driven to his favourite haunts by Doreen. He contracted cancer as a result of the drugs taken to alleviate his arthritis, and died on 26 December 1987.[2]: 24
The Peregrine
Baker appears to have destroyed many of his daily notes and, for The Peregrine, condensed his observations from the years 1955–1965 into a single period from October to April, probably of 1962–63, including the winter known as the Big Freeze.[2]: 194–195 [5] The book describes the author's ten-year obsession with the peregrines that wintered near his home in Chelmsford. The writing is lyrically charged throughout, as the author's role of diligent observer gives way to a personal transformation, as Baker becomes, in the words of James Dickey on the book's jacket cover, "a fusion of man and bird."
In January 2018, The Peregrine was included by the Arts and Humanities Research Council in a list of ten contenders[6] to find the UK's favourite book about nature.[a]
Over the years, there has been much debate over the veracity of Baker's observations of the behaviour of peregrines. Conor Mark Jameson has suggested in his book Silent Spring Revisited[7] (2012) and blog[8] that their aberrant behaviour, as recorded by Baker, may have been as a result of the effect of chemical poisoning on their nervous systems.
The BBC broadcast a recording of The Peregrine read by David Attenborough in December 2019. It was available for a year at the BBC Radio 4 website.[9]
Other works and legacy
Baker's only other book is The Hill of Summer (1969), a lyrical and somewhat visionary account of summer's progress across the wilder parts of southern England. Though not as famous as The Peregrine, it enjoys much the same reputation for literary beauty and naturalist precision.
In 2011, Collins published a new edition of The Peregrine[10] which also included The Hill of Summer and extracts from his diaries. The book includes an introduction by Mark Cocker and notes by John Fanshawe. Prior to this book, little was known about Baker's personal life but this has now changed.
In 2017, Collins published a 50th Anniversary Edition of The Peregrine with an introduction by Mark Cocker, notes by John Fanshawe, a new afterword by Robert Macfarlane, and Baker's article On the Essex Coast, first published in RSPB Birds magazine in 1971.[2]
Chelmsford City Council has put a
Further recognition of the importance to Chelmsford of Baker came with the announcement in November 2023 of an exhibition in Chelmsford Museum on his life and work running from 23 March to 3 November 2024. [12] More information about the Exhibition is in a further Chelmsford City Council press release dated 18 March 2024 [13]
The University of Essex holds items associated with Baker. These include his diaries, drafts of his books, corrected proofs, correspondence and his optical equipment used when birdwatching.[b] The archive was catalogued in 2016 by Hetty Saunders and is now open to all those interested in Baker's life and work.[14]
In October 2017, Little Toller Books published the first biography of Baker, entitled My House of Sky: The life of J.A. Baker by Hetty Saunders.[15] In addition to the biography, the book includes a selection of Baker's poetry, an article by John Fanshawe about the J. A. Baker Archive with photographs of some of the items, and a section of photographs of "Baker Country" taken by local photographer, Christopher Matthews. The preface to the book is by Robert Macfarlane.
References
- ^ Zarin, Cynthia (17 April 2017). "Time Out: The Beauty of J. A. Baker's "The Peregrine"". The New Yorker.
- ^ ISBN 978-0008216214.
- ISBN 9781590171332.
- ^ "Werner Herzog Creates Required Reading & Movie Viewing Lists for Enrolling in His Film School". Open Culture. Open Culture, LLC. 14 December 2015. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
- Macfarlane, Robert (15 April 2017). "Violent spring: The nature book that predicted the future". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
- ^ "AHRC Favourite Nature Books". Arts and Humanities Research Council. 2018.
- ISBN 978-1-408157-60-2.
- ^ Jameson, Conor Mark (8 December 2016). "Finding J A Baker". his blog. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
- ^ "Book of the Week: The Peregrine, read by David Attenborough". Radio 4. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
- ISBN 978-0-00-739590-3.
- ^ "John Alec Baker (Author, poet and conservationist)". Blue plaques in Chelmsford. Chelmsford City Council. 2020. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
- ^ "Chelmsford Museum exhibition to explore legacy of legendary local nature writer". Chelmsford City Council. 23 November 2023. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
- ^ "Exhibition exploring legacy of nature writer J.A. Baker opens at Chelmsford Museum". Chelmsford City Council. 18 March 2024. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
- ^ "J.A. Baker archive offers new insights into wild writing masterpiece". News. University of Essex. 1 July 2016. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
- ISBN 978-1-908213-49-5.
Notes
- Winterwatch programme The Peregrine did not make the top three. The poll was topped by Fingers in the Sparkle Jar by Chris Packham.
- ^ Miranda 10x50 binoculars and J.H. Steward 60x spotter scope.[2]: 123, 205