Kenneth McLeish was born in 1940 and educated at Bradford Grammar School and Worcester College, Oxford. He began his career as a schoolmaster at Watford Grammar School (1963-7) and also taught at Bedales (1969-73) before becoming a full-time writer in 1975. He died in 1997.

 

Kenneth was an author, translator and playwright. His published works (over 80) include THE GOOD READING GUIDE, SHAKESPEARE'S PEOPLE, THE THEATRE OF ARISTOPHANES, COMPANION TO THE ARTS IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY, MYTH, THE LISTENER'S GUIDE TO CLASSICAL MUSIC and CRUCIAL CLASSICS (both with Valerie McLeish) and THE BLOOMSBURY GUIDE TO HUMAN THOUGHT (general editor).

 

Kenneth's translations have been published and widely performed on stage, film, TV and radio. They include the complete Greek drama (47 plays), a dozen farces by Feydeau and Labiche, half a dozen plays by Ibsen and works by Horvath, Jarry, Molière and Strindberg. In the UK his work has been performed by the Royal National Theatre and a dozen other companies. His original plays include OMMA, ORPHEUS, ILIAD, I WILL IF YOU WILL, JUST DO IT, ONE FOR THE MONEY and VICE AT THE VICARAGE (written for Frankie Howerd).