Adam Nicolson
Encyclopedia
Adam Nicolson, Baron Carnock, FRSL
, FSA
(born 12 September 1957), is a British
author who writes about English history, landscape and the sea.
He is noted for his books The Smell of Summer Grass (describing his struggles with a small Sussex farm); Sea Room; (about the Shiant Isles
, a group of uninhabited islands in the Hebrides
); Power and Glory: the making of the King James Bible; Men of Honour (about Admiral Nelson
and the Battle of Trafalgar
); Earls of Paradise (an exploration of Arcadian
ism in 16th and 17th century England); and Sissinghurst: an Unfinished History (describing his attachment to his family home and his plans to transform the landscape there). In 2011 he published The Gentry: Stories of the English (about the last six centuries of gentry culture in England).
He has presented a television series on Channel 4 about a voyage up the west coast of the British Isles (Atlantic Britain 2004), a series on BBC Radio 3 about Homer's Landscapes (2008), a television series on BBC4 about Sissinghurst
(2009) and a BBC4 film on the making of the King James Bible, When God Spoke English (2011).
and grandson of the writers Vita Sackville-West
and Sir Harold Nicolson
. He was educated at Eton College
and Magdalene College, Cambridge
and has worked as a journalist and columnist on the Sunday Times, the Sunday Telegraph and the Daily Telegraph. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature
, the Society of Antiquaries
and the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland
.
Nicolson was married to Olivia Fane from 1982 to 1992. They have three sons, Thomas (born in 1984), William (born 1986) and Ben (born 1988). Since 1992 Nicolson has been married to Sarah Raven
. He and his wife have two daughters, Rosie (born 1993) and Molly (born 1996). They live at Perch Hill Farm in Sussex and at Sissinghurst Castle in Kent.
Between 2005 and 2009, in partnership with the National Trust
, he led a project which transformed the 260 acres (105.2 ha) surrounding the house and garden at Sissinghurst into a productive mixed farm, growing meat, fruit, cereals and vegetables for the National Trust restaurant.
In December 2008 he succeeded his cousin David Nicolson, 4th Baron Carnock
as 5th Baron Carnock
, a title he does not use.
Royal Society of Literature
The Royal Society of Literature is the "senior literary organisation in Britain". It was founded in 1820 by George IV, in order to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". The Society's first president was Thomas Burgess, who later became the Bishop of Salisbury...
, FSA
Society of Antiquaries of London
The Society of Antiquaries of London is a learned society "charged by its Royal Charter of 1751 with 'the encouragement, advancement and furtherance of the study and knowledge of the antiquities and history of this and other countries'." It is based at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London , and is...
(born 12 September 1957), is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
author who writes about English history, landscape and the sea.
He is noted for his books The Smell of Summer Grass (describing his struggles with a small Sussex farm); Sea Room; (about the Shiant Isles
Shiant Isles
The Shiant Isles are a privately owned island group in the Minch, east of Harris in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. They are five miles south east of Lewis.-Etymology:...
, a group of uninhabited islands in the Hebrides
Hebrides
The Hebrides comprise a widespread and diverse archipelago off the west coast of Scotland. There are two main groups: the Inner and Outer Hebrides. These islands have a long history of occupation dating back to the Mesolithic and the culture of the residents has been affected by the successive...
); Power and Glory: the making of the King James Bible; Men of Honour (about Admiral Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of...
and the Battle of Trafalgar
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
); Earls of Paradise (an exploration of Arcadian
Arcadia (utopia)
Arcadia refers to a vision of pastoralism and harmony with nature. The term is derived from the Greek province of the same name which dates to antiquity; the province's mountainous topography and sparse population of pastoralists later caused the word Arcadia to develop into a poetic byword for an...
ism in 16th and 17th century England); and Sissinghurst: an Unfinished History (describing his attachment to his family home and his plans to transform the landscape there). In 2011 he published The Gentry: Stories of the English (about the last six centuries of gentry culture in England).
He has presented a television series on Channel 4 about a voyage up the west coast of the British Isles (Atlantic Britain 2004), a series on BBC Radio 3 about Homer's Landscapes (2008), a television series on BBC4 about Sissinghurst
Sissinghurst Castle Garden
The garden at Sissinghurst Castle in the Weald of Kent, near Cranbrook, Goudhurst and Tenterden, is owned and maintained by the National Trust. It is among the most famous gardens in England.-History:...
(2009) and a BBC4 film on the making of the King James Bible, When God Spoke English (2011).
Biography
Adam Nicolson is the son of writer Nigel NicolsonNigel Nicolson
Nigel Nicolson OBE was a British writer, publisher and politician.-Biography:Nicolson was the son of the writers Sir Harold Nicolson and Vita Sackville-West; he had a brother Ben, later an art historian...
and grandson of the writers Vita Sackville-West
Vita Sackville-West
The Hon Victoria Mary Sackville-West, Lady Nicolson, CH , best known as Vita Sackville-West, was an English author, poet and gardener. She won the Hawthornden Prize in 1927 and 1933...
and Sir Harold Nicolson
Harold Nicolson
Sir Harold George Nicolson KCVO CMG was an English diplomat, author, diarist and politician. He was the husband of writer Vita Sackville-West, their unusual relationship being described in their son's book, Portrait of a Marriage.-Early life:Nicolson was born in Tehran, Persia, the younger son of...
. He was educated at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and Magdalene College, Cambridge
Magdalene College, Cambridge
Magdalene College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1428 as a Benedictine hostel, in time coming to be known as Buckingham College, before being refounded in 1542 as the College of St Mary Magdalene...
and has worked as a journalist and columnist on the Sunday Times, the Sunday Telegraph and the Daily Telegraph. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature
Royal Society of Literature
The Royal Society of Literature is the "senior literary organisation in Britain". It was founded in 1820 by George IV, in order to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". The Society's first president was Thomas Burgess, who later became the Bishop of Salisbury...
, the Society of Antiquaries
Society of Antiquaries of London
The Society of Antiquaries of London is a learned society "charged by its Royal Charter of 1751 with 'the encouragement, advancement and furtherance of the study and knowledge of the antiquities and history of this and other countries'." It is based at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London , and is...
and the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland
Society of Antiquaries of Scotland
The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland is the senior antiquarian body in Scotland, with its headquarters in the National Museum, Chambers Street, Edinburgh...
.
Nicolson was married to Olivia Fane from 1982 to 1992. They have three sons, Thomas (born in 1984), William (born 1986) and Ben (born 1988). Since 1992 Nicolson has been married to Sarah Raven
Sarah Raven
Sarah Clare Raven is an English gardener, writer and television presenter.She was born in Cambridge, the daughter of John Earle Raven Sarah Clare Raven (born 1963) is an English gardener, writer and television presenter.She was born in Cambridge, the daughter of John Earle Raven Sarah Clare...
. He and his wife have two daughters, Rosie (born 1993) and Molly (born 1996). They live at Perch Hill Farm in Sussex and at Sissinghurst Castle in Kent.
Between 2005 and 2009, in partnership with the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
, he led a project which transformed the 260 acres (105.2 ha) surrounding the house and garden at Sissinghurst into a productive mixed farm, growing meat, fruit, cereals and vegetables for the National Trust restaurant.
In December 2008 he succeeded his cousin David Nicolson, 4th Baron Carnock
David Nicolson, 4th Baron Carnock
David Henry Arthur Nicolson, 4th Baron Carnock was a British peer and solicitor.The son of the 3rd Baron Carnock and Hon. Katharine Frederica Albertha Lopes, he was educated at Winchester College and Balliol College, Oxford. Nicolson served in the Royal Devon Yeomanry, reaching the rank of major...
as 5th Baron Carnock
Baron Carnock
Baron Carnock, of Carnock in the County of Stirling, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1916 for the former Permanent Under-Secretary in the Foreign Office, Sir Arthur Nicolson, 11th Baronet....
, a title he does not use.
Awards and recognition
- 1986 Somerset Maugham AwardSomerset Maugham AwardThe Somerset Maugham Award is a British literary prize given each May by the Society of Authors. It is awarded to whom they judge to be the best writer or writers under the age of thirty-five of a book published in the past year. The prize was instituted in 1947 by William Somerset Maugham and thus...
Frontiers
- 1987 PBFA Topography Prize Wetland (with Patrick Sutherland)
- 1997 British Press AwardsBritish Press AwardsThe British Press Awards is an annual ceremony that celebrates the best of British journalism. Established in the 1970s, honours are voted on by a panel of journalists and newspaper executives...
Feature Writer of the Year (shortlist)
- 1998 British Book AwardsBritish Book AwardsThe Galaxy National Book Awards are a series of British literary awards focused on the best UK writers and their works, as selected by an academy of members from the British book publishing industry...
Illustrated Book of the Year (shortlist) Restoration
- 2002 Duff Cooper PrizeDuff Cooper PrizeThe Duff Cooper Prize is a literary prize awarded annually for the best work of history, biography, political science or poetry, published in English or French. The prize was established in honour of Duff Cooper, a British diplomat, Cabinet member and acclaimed author. The prize was first awarded...
(shortlist) Sea Room
- 2004 Royal Society of LiteratureRoyal Society of LiteratureThe Royal Society of Literature is the "senior literary organisation in Britain". It was founded in 1820 by George IV, in order to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". The Society's first president was Thomas Burgess, who later became the Bishop of Salisbury...
W.H.Heinemann Prize Power and Glory
- 2005 Fellow of the Royal Society of LiteratureRoyal Society of LiteratureThe Royal Society of Literature is the "senior literary organisation in Britain". It was founded in 1820 by George IV, in order to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". The Society's first president was Thomas Burgess, who later became the Bishop of Salisbury...
- 2006 Royal United Services InstituteRoyal United Services InstituteThe Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies , officially still known by its old name, the Royal United Services Institution, is a British defence and security think tank. It was founded in 1831 by The Duke of Wellington.RUSI describes itself asIt won Prospect Magazine's...
Duke of Westminster's Medal for Military LiteratureDuke of Westminster's Medal for Military LiteratureThe Duke of Westminster's Medal for Military Literature is awarded by the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies, , Whitehall, London....
(shortlist) Men of Honour
- 2009 Royal Society of LiteratureRoyal Society of LiteratureThe Royal Society of Literature is the "senior literary organisation in Britain". It was founded in 1820 by George IV, in order to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". The Society's first president was Thomas Burgess, who later became the Bishop of Salisbury...
Ondaatje PrizeOndaatje PrizeThe Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prize is an annual literary award given by the Royal Society of Literature. The £10,000 award is given for a work of fiction, non-fiction or poetry which evokes the "spirit of a place", and which is written by someone who is a citizen of or who has been...
Sissinghurst: an Unfinished History
- 2009 Spears Family History of the Year Sissinghurst: an Unfinished History
- 2010 Fellow of the Society of AntiquariesSociety of AntiquariesSociety of Antiquaries can refer to:*Society of Antiquaries of London*Society of Antiquaries of Scotland*Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne*Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland...
Works
- The National Trust Book of Long Walks (1981)
- Long Walks in France (1983)
- Frontiers (1985)
- Wetland (1987)
- Two Roads to Dodge City (1988) with Nigel Nicolson
- Prospects of England (1990)
- Restoration: Rebuilding of Windsor Castle (1997)
- Regeneration: The Story of the Dome (1999)
- Perch Hill: A New Life (2000)
- Mrs Kipling (2001)
- Sea Room (2001)
- Power and Glory: the Making of the King James Bible (US edition title: God's Secretaries) (2003) (reissued in 2011 as When God Spoke English)
- Seamanship (2004)
- Men of Honour: Trafalgar and the Making of the English Hero (US edition title: Seize the Fire: Heroism, Duty, and the Battle of Trafalgar) (2005)
- Earls of Paradise (US edition title: Quarrel with the King) (2008)
- Sissinghurst: An Unfinished History (2008/US revised edition 2010)
- Arcadia: The Dream of Perfection in Renaissance England (a revised paperback edition of Earls of Paradise) (2009)
- The Smell of Summer Grass (an updated edition of Perch Hill) (2011)
- The Gentry: Stories of the English (2011)
Television
- Atlantic Britain 8 x ½ hour Channel 4, 2004
- Sissinghurst 4 x 1 hour BBC 4, 2009
- When God Spoke English: The Making of the King James Bible 1 hour BBC 4, 2011
Radio
- Homer’s Landscapes 3 x 45 mins, BBC Radio 3, 2008
- A Cretan Spring 5 x 15 mins, with Sarah Raven, BBC Radio 3, 2009
- Dark Arcadias 2 x 45 mins, BBC Radio 3, 2011