After Dinner Speakers: Melvin Bragg, Nick Owen, Adrian Juste

Melvyn Bragg was born in Wigton, Cumberland in northwest England, and studied Modern History at Oxford. He is very well known both as a broadcaster and as a novelist. He edits and presents the arts programme The South Bank Show for London Weekend Television, he originated and edited Read All About It, and has contributed many features to the BBC's Lively Arts series. He also hosts Start the Week on BBC radio. His many novels, published to widespread acclaim include For Want of a Nail, The Second Inheritance, Without a City Wall and The Hired Man. Melvyn is also the author of non-fiction books: Speak for England; Land of the Lakes, a personal guide to Cumbria; Olivier, a portrait of Lawrence Olivier; Rich, The Life of Richard Burton and The Seventh Seal. He has also written many screenplays of films, including the massively popular Jesus Christ Superstar