Patrick French: Difference between revisions

Patrick French
Patrick French
Born	5 March 1966
Died	16 March 2023 (aged 57)
Alma mater	University of Edinburgh
Notable work	The World Is What It Is (2008)
Awards	National Book Critics Circle Award; Somerset Maugham Award; Hawthornden Prize

Browse history interactively

← Previous edit Next edit →

Content deleted Content added

VisualWikitext

Inline

Revision as of 10:06, 20 March 2023

Patrick French (5 March 1966 – 16 March 2023) was a British writer, historian and academician. He was educated at the University of Edinburgh, where he studied English and American literature,^[1] and received a PhD in South Asian Studies. He was appointed the inaugural Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Ahmedabad University in July 2017.

French was the author of several books including: Younghusband: the Last Great Imperial Adventurer (1994), a biography of Francis Younghusband; The World Is What It Is (2008), an authorised biography of Nobel Laureate V. S. Naipaul that won the National Book Critics Circle Award in the United States of America;^[2] and India: A Portrait (2011).

During the 1992 general election, French was a Green Party candidate for Parliament. He sat on the executive committee of Free Tibet, a Tibet Support Group UK, and was a founding member of the inter-governmental India-UK Round Table.^[3]^{[failed verification]}

Life and career

French was born on 5 March 1966.^[4] At the age of 25, French set off on a trail across Central Asia to retrace the steps of British explorer Francis Younghusband. This resulted in the publication of his first book, Younghusband: The Last Great Imperial Adventurer in 1994.^[5] The book went on to win both the Somerset Maugham Award^[6] and the Royal Society of Literature's W. H. Heinemann Prize.

French's next book, Liberty or Death: India's Journey to Independence and Division, was published in 1997 and earned the author accolades and brickbats in equal parts. It was described by some in the Indian media as presenting a "revisionist view" of Mahatma Gandhi and Mohammad Ali Jinnah's role in the Indian Independence movement,^[7] and there were a few calls to ban the book in India. On the other hand, Philip Ziegler hailed it as "a remarkable achievement,"^[8] and Khushwant Singh described the author as "a first rate historian and storyteller." The book sold heavily due to the controversy and French was awarded the Sunday Times Young Author of the Year award for the book.^[9]

Published in 2003, Tibet, Tibet: A Personal History of a Lost Land was French’s third book. According to the author’s own account, his interest in Tibet was triggered by a meeting he had with the Dalai Lama when he was 16, but the book emerged from "a gradual nervousness that the western idea of Tibet, particularly the views of Tibet campaigners, was becoming too detached from the reality of what Tibet was like. So I did a long journey through Tibet in 1999."^[10] The Independent described the book as "intelligent as well as passionate in its approach".^[11] Pico Iyer in The Los Angeles Times book review described French as a "scrupulous and disciplined writer" who "has a decided gift for inspired and heartfelt research and a knack for coming upon overlooked details that are worth several volumes of analysis".^[12]

The World Is What It Is, French's authorised biography of the Nobel Prize–winning author V. S. Naipaul, was published in 2008. In the New York Review of Books Ian Buruma described French as the inventor of a new genre, "the confessional biography".^[13] The book was selected by the editors of The New York Times Book Review as one of the "10 Best books of 2008".^[14] In 2008 The World Is What It Is was awarded the National Book Critics Circle Award^[15] in America, and was also shortlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize.^[16] French was also awarded the Hawthornden Prize in 2009 for the book.^[17]

In 2011, French published India: A Portrait, descrobed as "an intimate biography of 1.2 billion people". The book is a narrative of the social and economic revolutions that are transforming India. French also started an India-focused website called The India Site.^[18]

Before his death French was working on the authorised biography of another Nobel laureate, Doris Lessing.^[19]

Personal life and death

French was married to Meru Gokhale, formerly the Editor in Chief at Penguin Random House India, and the daughter of author and publisher Namita Gokhale. He was married once before.

In 2003, French was offered and declined the Order of the British Empire (OBE).^[20]

French died on 16 March 2023, at the age of 57. He had had cancer for four years.^[21]

Bibliography

Younghusband: The Last Great Imperial Adventurer (1994)
Liberty or Death: India’s Journey to Independence and Division (1997)
Tibet, Tibet: A Personal History of a Lost Land (2003)
The World Is What It Is (2008)
India: A Portrait (2011)

References

^ "Publisher-supplied biographical information about contributor(s) for Library of Congress control number 2002043432". Catdir.loc.gov. Archived from the original on 23 February 2011. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
^ "Patrick French". Penguin Random House. Archived from the original on 13 July 2010. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
^ "Patrick French Books - Biography and List of Works - Author of 'Dreams and Memories Of a Lost Land'". Biblio.com. Archived from the original on 13 December 2019. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
^ "Writer, Historian Patrick French Biography". Youth Developers. 10 August 2014. Archived from the original on 16 March 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
^ An Impulsive Imperial Soldier Who Turned Guru Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine The New York Times. 15 November 1995.
^ Archived copy Archived 4 December 2009 at the Wayback Machine
^ Gandhi was a wily politician, Jinnah remained a secularist till death. Archived 10 February 2010 at the Wayback Machine Outlook Magazine. 6 August 1997.
^ French, Patrick (1998). Liberty or Death: India's Journey to Independence and Division: Patrick French. ISBN 0006550452.
^ Archived copy Archived 16 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine
^ Interview: Nandini Lal on Patrick French Archived 22 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine Outlook Magazine. 10 March 2003.
^ Wintle, Justin (12 April 2003). "Book Review: Tibet, Tibet: a personal history of a lost land, by Patrick French". The Independent.
^ Iyer, Pico (19 October 2003), "Himalayan Descent", The Los Angeles Times. Archived 9 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine .
^ The Lessons of the Master Archived 3 November 2008 at the Wayback Machine The New York Review of Books. 20 November 2008.
^ "The ten best books of 2008", The New York Times. 3 December 2008. Archived 14 January 2018 at the Wayback Machine.
^ "National Book Critics Circle: awards". Bookcritics.org. Archived from the original on 27 February 2011. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
^ "BBC iPlayer - BBC Four". Bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 23 March 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
^ "Patrick French awarded literary prize". PanMacmillan.com. Archived from the original on 27 September 2009. Retrieved 9 December 2009.
^ "INDIA: A PORTRAIT | The India Site | Dishing up Indian news and non aligned views | India: A Portrait by Patrick French". Theindiasite.com. 19 May 2013. Archived from the original on 17 January 2011. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
^ "Patrick French – CRASSH". www.crassh.cam.ac.uk. 14 January 2016. Archived from the original on 16 November 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
^ Soutik Biswas (6 October 2003). "South Asia | Naipaul biographer refuses OBE". News.bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 7 January 2009. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
^ "British writer and historian Patrick French dies of cancer at 56". The New Indian Express. 16 March 2023. Archived from the original on 17 March 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2023.

External links

• Appearance on The Filter Podcast

[1] "Publisher-supplied biographical information about contributor(s) for Library of Congress control number 2002043432". Catdir.loc.gov. Archived from the original on 23 February 2011. Retrieved 13 May 2015.

[2] "Patrick French". Penguin Random House. Archived from the original on 13 July 2010. Retrieved 13 May 2015.

[3] "Patrick French Books - Biography and List of Works - Author of 'Dreams and Memories Of a Lost Land'". Biblio.com. Archived from the original on 13 December 2019. Retrieved 13 May 2015.

[4] "Writer, Historian Patrick French Biography". Youth Developers. 10 August 2014. Archived from the original on 16 March 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2023.

[5] An Impulsive Imperial Soldier Who Turned Guru Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine The New York Times. 15 November 1995.

[6] Archived copy Archived 4 December 2009 at the Wayback Machine

[7] Gandhi was a wily politician, Jinnah remained a secularist till death. Archived 10 February 2010 at the Wayback Machine Outlook Magazine. 6 August 1997.

[8] French, Patrick (1998). Liberty or Death: India's Journey to Independence and Division: Patrick French. ISBN 0006550452.

[9] Archived copy Archived 16 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine

[10] Interview: Nandini Lal on Patrick French Archived 22 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine Outlook Magazine. 10 March 2003.

[11] Wintle, Justin (12 April 2003). "Book Review: Tibet, Tibet: a personal history of a lost land, by Patrick French". The Independent.

[12] Iyer, Pico (19 October 2003), "Himalayan Descent", The Los Angeles Times. Archived 9 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine .

[13] The Lessons of the Master Archived 3 November 2008 at the Wayback Machine The New York Review of Books. 20 November 2008.

[14] "The ten best books of 2008", The New York Times. 3 December 2008. Archived 14 January 2018 at the Wayback Machine.

[15] "National Book Critics Circle: awards". Bookcritics.org. Archived from the original on 27 February 2011. Retrieved 13 May 2015.

[16] "BBC iPlayer - BBC Four". Bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 23 March 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2015.

[17] "Patrick French awarded literary prize". PanMacmillan.com. Archived from the original on 27 September 2009. Retrieved 9 December 2009.

[18] "INDIA: A PORTRAIT | The India Site | Dishing up Indian news and non aligned views | India: A Portrait by Patrick French". Theindiasite.com. 19 May 2013. Archived from the original on 17 January 2011. Retrieved 13 May 2015.

[19] "Patrick French – CRASSH". www.crassh.cam.ac.uk. 14 January 2016. Archived from the original on 16 November 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2017.

[20] Soutik Biswas (6 October 2003). "South Asia | Naipaul biographer refuses OBE". News.bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 7 January 2009. Retrieved 13 May 2015.

[21] "British writer and historian Patrick French dies of cancer at 56". The New Indian Express. 16 March 2023. Archived from the original on 17 March 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2023.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 {{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}
 {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2023}}
-{{Infobox person/Wikidata|fetchwikidata=ALL}}
+{{Infobox person
+| birth_date    = 5 March 1966
-'''Patrick French''' (5 March 1966 – 16 March 2023) was a British writer, historian and academician. He was educated at the [[University of Edinburgh]] where he studied English and [[American literature]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/bios/random054/2002043432.html |title=Publisher-supplied biographical information about contributor(s) for Library of Congress control number 2002043432 |publisher=Catdir.loc.gov |access-date=2015-05-13 |archive-date=23 February 2011 |archive-url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20110223142753/http://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/bios/random054/2002043432.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and received a PhD in South Asian Studies. He was appointed the inaugural Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at [[Ahmedabad University]] in July 2017.
+| death_date    = {{date of death and age|16 March 2023|5 March 1966|df=y}}
+| alma_mater    = [[University of Edinburgh]]
-French was the author of several books including: ''Younghusband: the Last Great Imperial Adventurer'' (1994), a biography of [[Francis Younghusband]]; ''The World Is What It Is'' (2008), an authorised biography of [[Nobel Prize|Nobel]] Laureate [[V. S. Naipaul]] which won the [[National Book Critics Circle Award]] in the United States of America;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=52606|title=Patrick French|publisher=Penguin Random House|access-date=2015-05-13|archive-date=13 July 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100713052532/http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=52606|url-status=live}}</ref> and ''India: A Portrait'' (2011).
+| notable_works = ''[[The World Is What It Is]]'' (2008)
+| awards        = [[National Book Critics Circle Award]]; [[Somerset Maugham Award]]; [[Hawthornden Prize]]
+}}
+'''Patrick French''' (5 March 1966 – 16 March 2023) was a British writer, historian and academician. He was educated at the [[University of Edinburgh]], where he studied English and [[American literature]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/bios/random054/2002043432.html |title=Publisher-supplied biographical information about contributor(s) for Library of Congress control number 2002043432 |publisher=Catdir.loc.gov |access-date=2015-05-13 |archive-date=23 February 2011 |archive-url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20110223142753/http://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/bios/random054/2002043432.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and received a PhD in South Asian Studies. He was appointed the inaugural Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at [[Ahmedabad University]] in July 2017.
+French was the author of several books including: ''Younghusband: the Last Great Imperial Adventurer'' (1994), a biography of [[Francis Younghusband]]; ''The World Is What It Is'' (2008), an authorised biography of [[Nobel Prize|Nobel]] Laureate [[V. S. Naipaul]] that won the [[National Book Critics Circle Award]] in the United States of America;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=52606|title=Patrick French|publisher=Penguin Random House|access-date=2015-05-13|archive-date=13 July 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100713052532/http://www.randomhouse.com/author/results.pperl?authorid=52606|url-status=live}}</ref> and ''India: A Portrait'' (2011).
 During the [[1992 United Kingdom general election|1992 general election]], French was a [[Green Party of England and Wales|Green Party]] candidate for [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Parliament]]. He sat on the executive committee of [[Free Tibet]], a [[Tibet Support Group]] UK, and was a founding member of the inter-governmental [[India]]-UK Round Table.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.biblio.com/author_biographies/2836691/Patrick_French.html |title=Patrick French Books - Biography and List of Works - Author of 'Dreams and Memories Of a Lost Land' |publisher=Biblio.com |access-date=2015-05-13 |archive-date=13 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191213060845/http://www.biblio.com/author_biographies/2836691/Patrick_French.html |url-status=live }}</ref>{{failed verification|date=January 2014}}
@@ Line 13: / Line 22: @@
 French was born on 5 March 1966.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://youthdevelopers.com/writer-historian-patrick-french-biography-books-marriage/|title=Writer, Historian Patrick French Biography|publisher=Youth Developers|date=10 August 2014|access-date=16 March 2023|archive-date=16 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230316213728/https://youthdevelopers.com/writer-historian-patrick-french-biography-books-marriage/|url-status=live}}</ref> At the age of 25, French set off on a trail across Central Asia to retrace the steps of British explorer [[Francis Younghusband]]. This resulted in the publication of his first book, ''Younghusband: The Last Great Imperial Adventurer'' in 1994.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1995/11/15/books/books-of-the-times-an-impulsive-imperial-soldier-who-turned-guru.html An Impulsive Imperial Soldier Who Turned Guru] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303193217/http://www.nytimes.com/1995/11/15/books/books-of-the-times-an-impulsive-imperial-soldier-who-turned-guru.html |date=3 March 2016 }} ''[[The New York Times]]''. 15 November 1995.</ref> The book went on to win both the [[Somerset Maugham Award]]<ref>[http://www.societyofauthors.org/prizes-grants-and-awards/prizes-for-fiction-and-non-fiction/the_somerset_maugham_awards/somerset_maugham_past_winners.html Archived copy] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091204022120/http://www.societyofauthors.org/prizes-grants-and-awards/prizes-for-fiction-and-non-fiction/the_somerset_maugham_awards/somerset_maugham_past_winners.html|date=4 December 2009}}</ref> and the [[Royal Society of Literature]]'s W. H. Heinemann Prize.
-French's next book, ''Liberty or Death: India's Journey to Independence and Division'' was published in 1997 and earned the author accolades and brickbats in equal parts. It was described by some in the Indian media as presenting a "revisionist view" of [[Mahatma Gandhi]] and [[Mohammad Ali Jinnah]]'s role in the [[Indian Independence movement]],<ref>[http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?203970 Gandhi was a wily politician, Jinnah remained a secularist till death] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100210164110/http://outlookindia.com/article.aspx?203970 |date=10 February 2010 }} ''Outlook Magazine''. 6 August 1997</ref> and there were a few calls to ban the book in [[India]]. On the other hand, [[Philip Ziegler]] hailed it as "a remarkable achievement,"<ref>{{cite book |title=Liberty or Death: India's Journey to Independence and Division: Patrick French |year=1998 |isbn=0006550452 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/libertyordeath00fren |last1=French |first1=Patrick }}</ref> and [[Khushwant Singh]] described the author as "a first rate historian and storyteller." The book sold heavily due to the controversy and French was awarded the [[Sunday Times]] Young Author of the Year award for the book.<ref>[http://www.societyofauthors.org/prizes-grants-and-awards/prizes-for-fiction-and-non-fiction/the_sunday_times_young_writer/sunday_times_past_winners.html Archived copy] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091016002526/http://www.societyofauthors.org/prizes-grants-and-awards/prizes-for-fiction-and-non-fiction/the_sunday_times_young_writer/sunday_times_past_winners.html|date=16 October 2009}}</ref>
+French's next book, ''Liberty or Death: India's Journey to Independence and Division'', was published in 1997 and earned the author accolades and brickbats in equal parts. It was described by some in the Indian media as presenting a "revisionist view" of [[Mahatma Gandhi]] and [[Mohammad Ali Jinnah]]'s role in the [[Indian Independence movement]],<ref>[http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?203970 Gandhi was a wily politician, Jinnah remained a secularist till death]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100210164110/http://outlookindia.com/article.aspx?203970 |date=10 February 2010 }} ''Outlook Magazine''. 6 August 1997.</ref> and there were a few calls to ban the book in [[India]]. On the other hand, [[Philip Ziegler]] hailed it as "a remarkable achievement,"<ref>{{cite book |title=Liberty or Death: India's Journey to Independence and Division: Patrick French |year=1998 |isbn=0006550452 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/libertyordeath00fren |last1=French |first1=Patrick }}</ref> and [[Khushwant Singh]] described the author as "a first rate historian and storyteller." The book sold heavily due to the controversy and French was awarded the ''[[Sunday Times]]'' Young Author of the Year award for the book.<ref>[http://www.societyofauthors.org/prizes-grants-and-awards/prizes-for-fiction-and-non-fiction/the_sunday_times_young_writer/sunday_times_past_winners.html Archived copy] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091016002526/http://www.societyofauthors.org/prizes-grants-and-awards/prizes-for-fiction-and-non-fiction/the_sunday_times_young_writer/sunday_times_past_winners.html|date=16 October 2009}}</ref>
-Published in 2003, ''Tibet, Tibet: A Personal History of a Lost Land'' was French’s third book. According to the author’s own account, his interest in [[Tibet]] was triggered by a meeting he had with the [[Dalai Lama]] when he was 16, but the book emerged from "a gradual nervousness that the western idea of Tibet, particularly the views of Tibet campaigners, was becoming too detached from the reality of what Tibet was like. So I did a long journey through Tibet in 1999."<ref>[http://www.outlookindia.com/fullprint.asp?choice=1&fodname=20030310&fname=french&sid=1 Interview: Nandini Lal on Patrick French] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091022135050/http://www.outlookindia.com/fullprint.asp?choice=1 |date=22 October 2009 }} ''Outlook Magazine''. 10 March 2003.</ref> ''[[The Independent]]'' described the book as "intelligent as well as passionate in its approach".<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090410224453/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/tibet-tibet-a-personal-history-of-a-lost-land-by-patrick-french-593811.html Book Review: Tibet, Tibet, A Personal History Of A Lost Land] ''The Independent''. 12 April 2003.</ref> [[Pico Iyer]] in ''[[The Los Angeles Times]]'' book review described French as a "scrupulous and disciplined writer" who "has a decided gift for inspired and heartfelt research and a knack for coming upon overlooked details that are worth several volumes of analysis".<ref>[http://articles.latimes.com/2003/oct/19/books/bk-iyer19 Himalayan Descent] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120309190122/http://articles.latimes.com/2003/oct/19/books/bk-iyer19 |date=9 March 2012 }} ''[[The Los Angeles Times]]''. 19 October 2003</ref>
+Published in 2003, ''Tibet, Tibet: A Personal History of a Lost Land'' was French’s third book. According to the author’s own account, his interest in [[Tibet]] was triggered by a meeting he had with the [[Dalai Lama]] when he was 16, but the book emerged from "a gradual nervousness that the western idea of Tibet, particularly the views of Tibet campaigners, was becoming too detached from the reality of what Tibet was like. So I did a long journey through Tibet in 1999."<ref>[http://www.outlookindia.com/fullprint.asp?choice=1&fodname=20030310&fname=french&sid=1 Interview: Nandini Lal on Patrick French] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091022135050/http://www.outlookindia.com/fullprint.asp?choice=1 |date=22 October 2009 }} ''Outlook Magazine''. 10 March 2003.</ref> ''[[The Independent]]'' described the book as "intelligent as well as passionate in its approach".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090410224453/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/tibet-tibet-a-personal-history-of-a-lost-land-by-patrick-french-593811.html |title=Book Review: Tibet, Tibet: a personal history of a lost land, by Patrick French
+|first=Justin|last= Wintle|newspaper=The Independent|date=12 April 2003}}</ref> [[Pico Iyer]] in ''[[The Los Angeles Times]]'' book review described French as a "scrupulous and disciplined writer" who "has a decided gift for inspired and heartfelt research and a knack for coming upon overlooked details that are worth several volumes of analysis".<ref>Iyer, Pico (19 October 2003), [http://articles.latimes.com/2003/oct/19/books/bk-iyer19 "Himalayan Descent"], ''[[The Los Angeles Times]]''. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120309190122/http://articles.latimes.com/2003/oct/19/books/bk-iyer19 |date=9 March 2012 }} .</ref>
-''[[The World Is What It Is]]'', French's authorised biography of the [[Nobel Prize]]–winning author [[V. S. Naipaul]], was published in 2008. In the ''[[New York Review of Books]]'' [[Ian Buruma]] described French as the inventor of a new genre, "the confessional biography".<ref>[http://www.nybooks.com/articles/22062 The Lessons of the Master] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081103092158/http://www.nybooks.com/articles/22062 |date=3 November 2008 }} ''The New York Review of Books''. 20 November 2008.</ref> The book was selected by the editors of ''[[The New York Times Book Review]]'' as one of the "10 Best books of 2008".<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/14/books/review/10Best-t.html?_r=2 The ten best books of 2008] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180114183848/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/14/books/review/10Best-t.html?_r=2 |date=14 January 2018 }} ''[[The New York Times]]''. 3 December 2008.</ref> In 2008 ''[[The World Is What It Is]]'' was awarded the [[National Book Critics Circle Award]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://bookcritics.org/awards |title=National Book Critics Circle: awards |publisher=Bookcritics.org |access-date=2015-05-13 |archive-date=27 February 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110227081853/http://bookcritics.org/awards |url-status=live }}</ref> in America, and was also short listed for the [[Samuel Johnson]] Prize.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/books/features/samueljohnson/shortlist.shtml |title=BBC iPlayer - BBC Four |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |access-date=2015-05-13 |archive-date=23 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120323144118/http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/books/features/samueljohnson/shortlist.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> French was also awarded the [[Hawthornden Prize]] in 2009 for the book.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.panmacmillan.com/News/displayPage.asp?PageTitle=Patrick%20French%20awarded%20literary%20prize |access-date=9 December 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090927190705/http://www.panmacmillan.com/News/displayPage.asp?PageTitle=Patrick%20French%20awarded%20literary%20prize |archive-date=27 September 2009 |title=Patrick French awarded literary prize }}</ref>
+''[[The World Is What It Is]]'', French's authorised biography of the [[Nobel Prize]]–winning author [[V. S. Naipaul]], was published in 2008. In the ''[[New York Review of Books]]'' [[Ian Buruma]] described French as the inventor of a new genre, "the confessional biography".<ref>[http://www.nybooks.com/articles/22062 The Lessons of the Master] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081103092158/http://www.nybooks.com/articles/22062 |date=3 November 2008 }} ''The New York Review of Books''. 20 November 2008.</ref> The book was selected by the editors of ''[[The New York Times Book Review]]'' as one of the "10 Best books of 2008".<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/14/books/review/10Best-t.html?_r=2 "The ten best books of 2008"], ''[[The New York Times]]''. 3 December 2008. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180114183848/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/14/books/review/10Best-t.html?_r=2 |date=14 January 2018 }}.</ref> In 2008 ''[[The World Is What It Is]]'' was awarded the [[National Book Critics Circle Award]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://bookcritics.org/awards |title=National Book Critics Circle: awards |publisher=Bookcritics.org |access-date=2015-05-13 |archive-date=27 February 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110227081853/http://bookcritics.org/awards |url-status=live }}</ref> in America, and was also shortlisted for the [[Samuel Johnson]] Prize.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/books/features/samueljohnson/shortlist.shtml |title=BBC iPlayer - BBC Four |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |access-date=2015-05-13 |archive-date=23 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120323144118/http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/books/features/samueljohnson/shortlist.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> French was also awarded the [[Hawthornden Prize]] in 2009 for the book.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.panmacmillan.com/News/displayPage.asp?PageTitle=Patrick%20French%20awarded%20literary%20prize |access-date=9 December 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090927190705/http://www.panmacmillan.com/News/displayPage.asp?PageTitle=Patrick%20French%20awarded%20literary%20prize |archive-date=27 September 2009 |title=Patrick French awarded literary prize |website=PanMacmillan.com}}</ref>
-In 2011 French published ''India: A Portrait'', descrobed as "an intimate biography of 1.2 billion people". The book is a narrative of the social and economic revolutions that are transforming India. French also started an India-focused website called The India Site.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theindiasite.com/india-a-portrait/ |title=INDIA: A PORTRAIT &#124; The India Site &#124; Dishing up Indian news and non aligned views &#124; India: A Portrait by Patrick French |publisher=Theindiasite.com |date=2013-05-19 |access-date=2015-05-13 |archive-date=17 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110117082208/http://www.theindiasite.com/india-a-portrait/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
+In 2011, French published ''India: A Portrait'', descrobed as "an intimate biography of 1.2 billion people". The book is a narrative of the social and economic revolutions that are transforming India. French also started an India-focused website called The India Site.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theindiasite.com/india-a-portrait/ |title=INDIA: A PORTRAIT &#124; The India Site &#124; Dishing up Indian news and non aligned views &#124; India: A Portrait by Patrick French |publisher=Theindiasite.com |date=2013-05-19 |access-date=2015-05-13 |archive-date=17 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110117082208/http://www.theindiasite.com/india-a-portrait/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
 Before his death French was working on the authorised biography of another Nobel laureate, [[Doris Lessing]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.crassh.cam.ac.uk/people/profile/patrick-french|title=Patrick French – CRASSH|website=www.crassh.cam.ac.uk|date=14 January 2016|access-date=2017-07-13|archive-date=16 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161116010817/http://www.crassh.cam.ac.uk/people/profile/patrick-french|url-status=live}}</ref>
@@ Line 26: / Line 36: @@
 French was married to Meru Gokhale, formerly the Editor in Chief at [[Penguin Random House]] India, and the daughter of author and publisher [[Namita Gokhale]]. He was married once before.
-In 2003 French was offered and declined the [[Order of the British Empire]] (OBE).<ref>{{cite web |author=Soutik Biswas |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3158852.stm |title=South Asia &#124; Naipaul biographer refuses OBE |publisher=News.bbc.co.uk |date=2003-10-06 |access-date=2015-05-13 |archive-date=7 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090107073100/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3158852.stm |url-status=live }}</ref>
+In 2003, French was offered and declined the [[Order of the British Empire]] (OBE).<ref>{{cite web |author=Soutik Biswas |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3158852.stm |title=South Asia &#124; Naipaul biographer refuses OBE |publisher=News.bbc.co.uk |date=2003-10-06 |access-date=2015-05-13 |archive-date=7 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090107073100/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3158852.stm |url-status=live }}</ref>
 French died on 16 March 2023, at the age of 57. He had had cancer for four years.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/lifestyle/books/2023/mar/16/british-writer-and-historian-patrick-french-dies-of-cancer-at-57-2556639.html|title=British writer and historian Patrick French dies of cancer at 56|work=[[The New Indian Express]]|date=16 March 2023|access-date=16 March 2023|archive-date=17 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230317071932/https://www.newindianexpress.com/lifestyle/books/2023/mar/16/british-writer-and-historian-patrick-french-dies-of-cancer-at-56-2556639.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
@@ Line 48: / Line 58: @@
 [[Category:1966 births]]
 [[Category:2023 deaths]]
-[[Category:English biographers]]
-[[Category:Tibet freedom activists]]
-[[Category:21st-century English writers]]
-[[Category:20th-century English historians]]
-[[Category:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh]]
 [[Category:20th-century biographers]]
+[[Category:20th-century English historians]]
+[[Category:20th-century English male writers]]
 [[Category:21st-century biographers]]
+[[Category:21st-century English writers]]
+[[Category:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh]]
+[[Category:English biographers]]
 [[Category:English male non-fiction writers]]
-[[Category:20th-century English male writers]]
+[[Category:Tibet freedom activists]]

Authority control databases
International	ISNI VIAF FAST WorldCat
National	Germany United States France BnF data Czech Republic Spain Portugal Netherlands Norway Poland Israel Catalonia Belgium
Academics	CiNii ORCID
Other	IdRef SNAC