Associate Committee Member
Rony has lived much of his life as a writer and broadcaster and has a lifelong interest in Carpenter. After school in Sheffield he read Modern History at Oxford and edited the university newspaper Cherwell. Next a teacher in London schools, he wrote about them in The Ted Carp Tradition publicised as the ‘first novel to come out of the comprehensives.’ Twice resident playwright at the Crucible, his plays include Edward Carpenter Lives! and Free for All, set on one weekend out at Carpenter’s Millthorpe. His Faber novel The Beano about a brewery outing to Scarborough in 1914 was launched at Sheffield Central Library, turned into the seaside for the day, replete with pier, donkeys, sand and deckchairs. Last Loves, a play co-written with Sally Goldsmith for Radio 4 about sex among the elderly, won a Bronze Sony and five other awards. He has presented his programme on BBC Radio Sheffield since 1984, and published his memoirs Who’s Been Talking last year. His mother and grandparents met Carpenter and he treasures a signed photograph on his study wall. He hopes that a public memorial will be established soon in Sheffield.