Marjorie Wallace (SANE)
Encyclopedia
Marjorie Shiona Wallace CBE
(Countess Skarbek) (born 10 January 1945 in Nairobi
, Kenya
) is a British
writer, broadcaster and investigative journalist and is the chief executive of SANE
, a mental health charity in the UK established in 1986.
and Philosophy
from University College, London. On leaving university she worked as a trainee producer for The Frost Programme with David Frost
(1966-68), and went on to become a religious programmes producer, and a current affairs reporter for London Weekend Television
(1969-72). However, she made her mark as an investigative journalist for The Sunday Times
(1972-89), for whom, as the paper's Social Services Correspondent, she wrote a series of articles in 1972 highlighting the financial and emotional plight of the Thalidomide
children who had been born in the 1950s and 1960s with physical disabilities. As a result of this campaign she met Terry Wiles
, about whom she collaborated on a biography, On Giant's Shoulders (1976). This was to be made into a BBC
Play for Today
in 1977 in which Wallace was portrayed.
Other investigations as a Sunday Times journalist ranged from the failure of concrete systems building and the 'hot-housing' of genius children to the Dioxin disaster in Northern Italy
about which she co-wrote the book Superpoison.
"The Forgotten Illness". The articles underscored the neglect of people suffering from schizophrenia
and the paucity of services and treatments. From its initial focus on schizophrenia, SANE developed and is now concerned with all mental illnesses.
Through her network of politicians, businessmen, academics and donors, she helped raise over £20 million through SANE for people with mental health problems and has created The Prince of Wales International Centre for SANE Research
in Oxford. SANE pioneered the UK's first national out-of-hours mental health helpline offering practical information and emotional support 365 days a year. HRH The Prince of Wales
has said of her work: 'There are shining examples of what can be done, such as a series of articles by Marjorie Wallace, which not only laid the foundation of contemporary understanding of mental illness but also led directly to the foundation of SANE, of which I am Patron.'
She is probably best known for her book 'The Silent Twins
' and the film made from her screenplay which was voted best docudrama in the USA in 1988. She wrote and presented provocative television documentaries - Whose Mind is it Anyway? and Circles of Madness - and gained a reputation as an international lecturer and broadcaster on the subject of mental illness.
she was awarded Campaigning Journalist of the Year for 1988. Wallace has also been Medical Journalist of the Year and she received a British Neuroscience Association award in 2002.
As a result of her "The Forgotten Illness" articles and her subsequent work in the mental illness field she was elected an honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists
in 2001. Wallace was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1994, and an honorary Doctorate of Science by City University, London
in 2001. Since 1990 she has been a Fellow of University College, London.
In 2006 she was selected as one of the 16 key achievers who had made a difference to the health of the nation for an exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery and, two years later, was chosen as one of the 60 most influential people in shaping the history of the National Health Service
.
She was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2008 New Year Honours
.
, North London.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(Countess Skarbek) (born 10 January 1945 in Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
) 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...
writer, broadcaster and investigative journalist and is the chief executive of SANE
SANE (charity)
SANE is a mental illness charity in the UK. It provides telephone and email support services and has established a research centre. The opinion of SANE's founder and chief executive, Marjorie Wallace, is often quoted in media reports on mental health issues....
, a mental health charity in the UK established in 1986.
Early career
Wallace has a degree in PsychologyPsychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
and Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
from University College, London. On leaving university she worked as a trainee producer for The Frost Programme with David Frost
David Frost
Sir David Frost is a British broadcaster.David Frost may also refer to:*David Frost , South African golfer*David Frost , classical record producer*David Frost *Dave Frost, baseball pitcher...
(1966-68), and went on to become a religious programmes producer, and a current affairs reporter for London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television was the name of the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties including south Suffolk, middle and east Hampshire, Oxfordshire, south Bedfordshire, south Northamptonshire, parts of Herefordshire & Worcestershire, Warwickshire, east Dorset and...
(1969-72). However, she made her mark as an investigative journalist for The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
(1972-89), for whom, as the paper's Social Services Correspondent, she wrote a series of articles in 1972 highlighting the financial and emotional plight of the Thalidomide
Thalidomide
Thalidomide was introduced as a sedative drug in the late 1950s that was typically used to cure morning sickness. In 1961, it was withdrawn due to teratogenicity and neuropathy. There is now a growing clinical interest in thalidomide, and it is introduced as an immunomodulatory agent used...
children who had been born in the 1950s and 1960s with physical disabilities. As a result of this campaign she met Terry Wiles
Terry Wiles
Terrence 'Terry' Wiles was one of the most disabled thalidomide babies born in the UK. He has since become known internationally through the television drama On Giant's Shoulders and the best-selling book of the same name....
, about whom she collaborated on a biography, On Giant's Shoulders (1976). This was to be made into a BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Play for Today
Play for Today
Play for Today is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC1 from 1970 to 1984. During the run, more than three hundred programmes, featuring original television plays, and adaptations of stage plays and novels, were transmitted...
in 1977 in which Wallace was portrayed.
Other investigations as a Sunday Times journalist ranged from the failure of concrete systems building and the 'hot-housing' of genius children to the Dioxin disaster in Northern Italy
Northern Italy
Northern Italy is a wide cultural, historical and geographical definition, without any administrative usage, used to indicate the northern part of the Italian state, also referred as Settentrione or Alta Italia...
about which she co-wrote the book Superpoison.
SANE
SANE was founded by Wallace after an overwhelming public response to a series of articles written by her in The TimesThe Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
"The Forgotten Illness". The articles underscored the neglect of people suffering from schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
and the paucity of services and treatments. From its initial focus on schizophrenia, SANE developed and is now concerned with all mental illnesses.
Through her network of politicians, businessmen, academics and donors, she helped raise over £20 million through SANE for people with mental health problems and has created The Prince of Wales International Centre for SANE Research
The Prince of Wales International Centre for SANE Research
The Prince of Wales International Centre for SANE Research in Oxford houses investigations into finding the causes of and better treatment for serious mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia and depression....
in Oxford. SANE pioneered the UK's first national out-of-hours mental health helpline offering practical information and emotional support 365 days a year. HRH The Prince of Wales
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
has said of her work: 'There are shining examples of what can be done, such as a series of articles by Marjorie Wallace, which not only laid the foundation of contemporary understanding of mental illness but also led directly to the foundation of SANE, of which I am Patron.'
She is probably best known for her book 'The Silent Twins
June and Jennifer Gibbons
June and Jennifer Gibbons , were identical twins who grew up in Wales. They became known as 'The Silent Twins' owing to their choice to communicate only with their immediate family. They began writing works of fiction but turned to crime in a bid for recognition...
' and the film made from her screenplay which was voted best docudrama in the USA in 1988. She wrote and presented provocative television documentaries - Whose Mind is it Anyway? and Circles of Madness - and gained a reputation as an international lecturer and broadcaster on the subject of mental illness.
Honours and awards
She has won numerous awards for her journalism and books: as a journalist for The TimesThe Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
she was awarded Campaigning Journalist of the Year for 1988. Wallace has also been Medical Journalist of the Year and she received a British Neuroscience Association award in 2002.
As a result of her "The Forgotten Illness" articles and her subsequent work in the mental illness field she was elected an honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists
Royal College of Psychiatrists
The Royal College of Psychiatrists is the main professional organisation of psychiatrists in the United Kingdom responsible for representing psychiatrists, psychiatric research and providing public information about mental health problems...
in 2001. Wallace was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1994, and an honorary Doctorate of Science by City University, London
City University, London
City University London , is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1894 as the Northampton Institute and became a university in 1966, when it adopted its present name....
in 2001. Since 1990 she has been a Fellow of University College, London.
In 2006 she was selected as one of the 16 key achievers who had made a difference to the health of the nation for an exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery and, two years later, was chosen as one of the 60 most influential people in shaping the history of the National Health Service
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
.
She was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2008 New Year Honours
New Year Honours 2008
The New Year Honours 2008 for the Commonwealth Realms were announced on 29 December 2007, to celebrate the year passed and mark the beginning of 2008....
.
Private life
Wallace married the psychoanalyst Count Andrzej Skarbek, with whom she has three children. She lives with the science writer and broadcaster Tom Margerison and their daughter in HighgateHighgate
Highgate is an area of North London on the north-eastern corner of Hampstead Heath.Highgate is one of the most expensive London suburbs in which to live. It has an active conservation body, the Highgate Society, to protect its character....
, North London.
Publications include
- The Silent Twins Marjorie Wallace (1986) ISBN 0-345-34802-8
- On Giant's Shoulders : the story of Terry Wiles by Marjorie Wallace and Michael Robson Times Books, London (1976) ISBN 0723001464
External links
- Audio interview with Marjorie Wallace by the National Electronic Library for Health
- Comment by Marjorie Wallace on mental health research
- Interview with Wallace in The Guardian
- Article about Marjorie Wallace's portrait at the National Portrait Gallery
- Article about Marjorie Wallace and SANE in the Sunday Times Magazine
- SANE website