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Martyn Goff

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Martyn Goff, CBE (7 June 1923 – 25 March 2015)[1] was a British literary administrator, author, and bookseller. He made a significant contribution to the organisation and popularity of the Booker Prize for many years, and was involved in efforts to increase literacy and book ownership, particularly among children.

Background

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Born in 1923, he grew up in Hampstead, London. His father, Jacob Gulkov (anglicised: Gee Morton Goff), was a Russian fur dealer who had emigrated to Britain and became a supplier to department stores.[2] After studying at Clifton College[1] in Bristol, he won a place at Oxford University to study English.[1] Goff was demobilised in 1946.[3]

Personal life and honours

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Goff is said to have acquired, and relished, a reputation as a dandy.[1] His partner, Rubio Tapani Lindroos, a Finnish poet who moved to London in 1970, died in 2014.[1][3]

Goff was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1977 and promoted to Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2005.[1] In 2003, Oxford Brookes University awarded him an honorary doctorate.[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "Martyn Goff, Obituary". The Times. 27 March 2015. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  2. ^ "Martyn Goff: Author Biography". Valancourt Books. Archived from the original on 14 September 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
  3. ^ a b Trewin, Ion (27 March 2015). "Martyn Goff, Obituary". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 29 March 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  4. ^ "Martyn Goff dies". The Bookseller. 26 March 2015. Archived from the original on 29 April 2015. Retrieved 23 April 2015.