Nora Beloff
Leah Nora Beloff (24 January 1919 – 12 February 1997) was an English journalist and political writer. She worked for The Observer for three decades, from 1948 to 1978, and became a political correspondent in 1964, making her the first woman in such a role for a British newspaper.
Early life
Beloff was born in
Career
After graduating from Oxford, Beloff worked for the British
In 1964 she returned to London following her appointment as a political correspondent for The Observer; this made her the first woman political correspondent of a British newspaper. In this role, she often wrote critical pieces about the Labour Party, and Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson consequently petitioned The Observer to dismiss her.[3][6] She remained in this post until 1976, and then worked as a special correspondent.[5] Beloff left The Observer in 1978 after 30 years due to disagreements with its new editor, Donald Trelford.[4]
Beloff wrote six books during her career: The General Said No (1963), Transit of Britain (1973), Freedom under Foot (1976), No Travel Like Russian Travel (1979), Tito's Flawed Legacy (1985) and Yugoslavia: An Avoidable War (published posthumously in 1997). She travelled extensively across Europe in her later career and, while reporting on the persecution of
She was long lampooned in the satirical magazine Private Eye under the nickname "Nora Ballsoff". She fought two legal actions against the magazine; she won libel damages of £3,000 but lost a breach of copyright action.[7][8]
Personal life and death
Beloff was married to Clifford Makins, a sports editor for The Observer, from 1977 until his death in 1990.
References
- ^ "Search Results for England & Wales Births 1837-2006".
- OCLC 22240783.
- ^ doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/65232. (Subscription or UK public library membershiprequired.)
- ^ a b c d Millinship, William (15 February 1997). "Obituary: Nora Beloff". The Independent. Archived from the original on 21 June 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
- ^ a b c Griffiths, Dennis (1992). The Encyclopedia of the British Press, 1422–1992. London & Basingstoke: Macmillan. p. 101.
- ^ a b c Pace, Eric (23 February 1997). "Nora Beloff, British Reporter, 78". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
- ^ "That English look" New Law Journal 23 February 2007, Geoffrey Bindman
- ^ "All England Law Reports/1973/Volume 1 /Beloff v Pressdram Ltd and another". Archived from the original on 22 April 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
- ^ Trott, Jan; Jenkinson, Hannah; Yamin, Mariam (22 February 2012). "Nora Beloff – foreign correspondent". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 April 2016.