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Val Hennessy

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by MF SarahHorner (talk | contribs) at 21:35, 19 June 2014. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

  • Comment: The first reference is to a mirror of Wikipedia. You may wikilink to the WIkipedia article instead, please. We cannot use Wikipedia, even a mirror, as a source for itself.
    Articles by Hennessy canot be references, nor can things she says, even in interview. The Pavaroti iuncident is amusiung, but borderline. It is almost 'just a passing mention', but taken with the rest, qualifies.
    For a living person we have a higher standard of referencing. Every fact you assert requires a citation with a reference that is about them, and is independent of them, and is in WP:RS.
    This is very close to being accepted. Keep going. Fiddle Faddle 10:50, 18 June 2014 (UTC)
  • Comment: Despite writing in reliable sources, Hennessy isn't the subject of those articles. I'm not sure there's any claim to notability. Chris Troutman (talk) 05:30, 16 June 2014 (UTC)
  • Comment: All inline links must be removed, please, and turned into references if appropriate Wikilinks, or external links in a section so named. Sorry, missed them first time around. Fiddle Faddle 13:40, 18 June 2014 (UTC)


Val Hennessy is a British journalist who writes for the Daily Mail.

Val Hennessy, journalist, portrait by Phyllis Dupuy, www.phyllisdupuy.co.uk

Career

Hennessy taught English and Drama before commencing her writing and journalistic career with the Brighton Voice, Peace News and Big Scream.

Hennessy went on to become a Fleet Street freelance journalist, an Associate Editor of Time Out and a columnist for Saga Magazine[1]. She was described by Auberon Waugh as "a handsome if elderly (by punk standards) and inescapably middle-class journalist"[2].

She is best known for her work as Chief Literary Critic for the Daily Mail from 1989 to 2004. She continues to write for the Daily Mail's Retro Reads column. Having reviewed thousands of English fiction books, Hennessy has been a significant critic of British women's writing.[3] Hennessy has interviewed Luciano Pavarotti[4], Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Annie Lennox, Michael Douglas, Terence Stamp, Martin Amis, Vivienne Westwood, Elizabeth Taylor, Bob Geldof, David Bailey, Jeffrey Archer, Germaine Greer, Laurie Lee and José Carreras.

Throughout her career, she has also written for The Guardian[5], The Observer, New Society, You Magazine, Spare Rib, City Limits, London Evening Standard.

Judging Panels

In 1989, Hennessy was on the controversial judging panel of the (then) Whitbread Book Award, now known as the Costa Book Awards.

In 1995, she was a member of the AT&T Award for Non-fiction. Panel chair, Alan Clark, reduced the panel to laughter with his declaration that "No one may speak while the chairman is speaking and if you wish to speak, you must raise your hand."[6]

In 1996 Hennessy was one of "five leading women"[7], "at the top of their respective professions"[8] making up the inaugural panel of the (then) Orange, now Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction and commented vigorously on the quality of submissions by British women writers, The Independent, 16 May 1996. As an early judge on this award, Hennessy's comments continue to be referenced[9]. Emma Parker reported and discussed Hennessy's comments in the Contemporary Women Writers journal.[10]

Reviewing the Reviewer

In a letter to Private Eye, Stephen Vizinczey credited Hennessy among a number of critics for taking his work seriously[11], but her reviews have not always made it on to a novel's dust jacket: The New York Times found "mixed messages"[12] in her review of Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife by Mary Roach; Hennessy's review of A History of English Food by Clarissa Dickson Wright was cited as a demonstration of anti-intellectualism in the British media.[13]

Bibliography

A Little Light Friction, Chambers, 1989, ISBN 024554786X

In The Gutter, Quartet, 1978, ISBN 0704332302
In The Gutter received a mixed reception. Auberon Waugh called it an "admirable book" with "touches of a genuine philosophical nihilism"[14], while Joe Donnelly wrote, "In the Gutter though far from perfect would be a great addition to any punks' collection, providing you can find a copy?"[15].

Lauded for the photographic record of the punk era, the book is now out of print and is in demand on the vintage book market:

References

  1. ^ "Saga column sparks row over 'high life' in Totnes". No. 20 July 2005. Press Gazette.
  2. ^ Waugh, Auberon (29 April 1978). "Another Voice". The Spectator.
  3. ^ Zangen, Britta (2003). "Women as readers, writers, and judges: the controversy about the orange prize for fiction". Women's Studies. 32: 281.
  4. ^ Wilde, Jon (29 August 2005). "Inside story: Great rock'n'roll swindles". The Independent.
  5. ^ Mills, Robin. "John Miles". http://www.marshwoodvale.com/people/articles/people/john-miles. The Marshwood Vale Magazine. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help)
  6. ^ Walsh, John (9 March 2005). "Diary". The Independent.
  7. ^ "How the Prize is judged". Retrieved 2012-06-01.
  8. ^ "Judging". Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction.
  9. ^ Ezard, John (3 October 2005). "Orange judges to name best novelist of decade". The Guardian.
  10. ^ Parker, Emma (2004). "Introduction, 'The Proper Stuff of Fiction: Defending the Domestic, Reappraising the Parochial". Contemporary British Women Writers. 57: 2.
  11. ^ "In praise of Stephen Vizinczey". The Omnivore. Retrieved 23-11-2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  12. ^ "The Skim". New York Times. 23 July 2007.
  13. ^ "A review of A History of English Food by Clarissa Dickson Wright & its reviewers with commentary on the character of some newspapers". British Food in America.
  14. ^ Waugh, Auberon (28 April 1978). "Another Voice". The Spectator.
  15. ^ Donnelly, Joe. "Punk Book Reviews". PunkRocker.
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