William Graham Stanton

William Graham "Bill" Stanton (1917-1999) was a British author and radio playwright. File:William Stanton - author.jpg

Early Life

Stanton was born in East Brightside, Sheffield, the seventh child of a blacksmith and his wife. Although means were tight his background was set within a working class Methodist tradition, and his experiences as a child, which he wrote about in later life, described an upbringing rich in love, event and interest.

His father John understood the importance of an education. He was an avid reader, and it rubbed off onto his children. He sent his sons George and Arthur to Sheffield University. The Recession of the 1930s denied John the means to help Bill through University, and instead Bill had to settle for sponsorship from the Sheffield Education Committee to train to be a teacher. Although Bill was proud of his calling as a teacher he always knew he could have achieved far more academically. Throughout his life Bill wrote both prose and verse, most of which was unpublished.

Writing Career

In 1960 Stanton had a short story published by BBC Radio on their Morning Story series. It was the first of a series of twenty-one stories presented by the BBC throughout the sixties, and early seventies.

In 1969 he had his first radio play success. The Compost Heap, a play about an old man who had become a burden to his family was the first of a prodigious output of radio plays. In all the BBC produced and broadcast ten plays. Stanton was delighted that they got Wilfred Pickles to play the principle character Albert Smith. He met Wilfred and they became firm friends. A young Tony Robinson also appeared in the play as the son-in-law Charlie.

Teaching and Lecturing

On the basis of this success and his experience Stanton was invited to lecture at weekend courses for aspiring writers. He developed a following of students who were impressed by what he had to offer, and the style in which he presented the material. As a teacher, Stanton wanted to inspire rather than instruct. He placed a great emphasis on doing rather than talking about doing. He arranged "workshops" rather than "courses," and out of this came a number of projects. One was the "Workshop 74" at St. Mary's College, Durham, and another was the "Writer's Tutorial."

In 1992 Stanton was enrolled at the University of York to read English and American Literature. This gave him the opportunity to study Shakespeare properly. He threw himself into his studies and received a two one. When he graduated in June 1996 at the age of 79, he was University of York's oldest graduate.

Links

Archive of Bill Stanton's writing available online