Alfred Leslie Rowse

Lolly Ockerstrom (Park University)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.09: English Writing and Culture: Postwar and Contemporary Britain , 1945-present.
Vol. editors: Gina Lyle (University of York), Graham MacPhee (University of Manchester), Kerry Myler (Birmingham Newman University), Jenni Ramone (The Nottingham Trent University)

Dates

Born 4 Dec 1903
Died 3 Oct 1997
Activity 1923-1997

Places

Born in England
Active in England

Activities

Primary

Biographer
Poet

Resources

Rowse's Works

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A twentieth century academic at the University of Oxford best known for his work on Elizabeth I and Shakespeare, Arthur Leslie Rowse was born at Tregonissey, near St. Austell, Cornwall, on the south coast of England on 4 December 1903. The son of an illiterate china-clay worker, Richard Rowse, and a hard-working shopkeeper, Annie Vaston Rowse, Rowse was the youngest of three children, which included his sister, Hilda, and his brother, George. Although called “Leslie” by family and close friends, he always identified himself professionally as “A.L. Rowse”.

Opinionated, outspoken, and often viewed as a “curmudgeon”, Rowse was a much-loved but often difficult personality, who nonetheless contributed significantly to British letters and was, briefly, engaged in politics. His works

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2216 words

Citation: Ockerstrom, Lolly. "Alfred Leslie Rowse". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 09 May 2012 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=3872, accessed 25 November 2024.]