Marking 50 Years of The History Man: UCP Student Shares Insights from a Night of Literary Celebration

The Bradbury family and the Malcolm Bradbury Trust, in collaboration with Pan Macmillan and the National Literacy Trust, hosted an evening of literary celebration at Pan Macmillan’s London headquarters to mark the 50th anniversary of Malcolm Bradbury’s landmark novel The History Man.

The invite-only event brought together writers, academics, journalists, and supporters of the arts to celebrate Bradbury’s life, work, and continuing influence on British literary culture.

Here, Malcolm Bradbury Trust Bursary recipient and current University Centre Peterborough BA (HONS) English Literature and Creative Writing student Helen Cross recounts her evening.

It is a pivotal moment when someone says, ‘you are a writer’.

It was a moment to feel proud, (and if I am honest, a moment that was also a little surreal), to hear stories recounted by bestselling novelists about how their literary journeys began.

But there I was, listening to Louise Doughty speak with such affection as she retold how Malcolm Bradbury declared this of her when she was studying creative writing under him, and Angela Carter, at the University of East Anglia.

The evening was filled with many such stories of Malcolm’s passion for words and his commitment to helping writers flourish, as we celebrated the fifty-year anniversary of his provocative and hilarious novel The History Man.

Gathered at the Pan Macmillan headquarters in central London were writers, academics, journalists and patrons of the arts who were keen to celebrate Malcolm’s legacy with his family.

The evening was also an opportunity for the Malcolm Bradbury Trust to announce their collaboration with the National Literacy Trust. Together they aim to close the gap in reading proficiency, and create writing opportunities for those living in the most deprived areas.

I have experienced first-hand the impressive work the Malcolm Bradbury Trust is doing to honour Malcolm’s legacy in helping working class writers, such as myself find their voice and gain valuable experience.

When I was awarded the Malcom Bradbury bursary a year ago, it gave me the confidence to push myself forward as a writer.

Since then, I have now been a regular contributor on BBC radio and had work published in the New Nottingham Journal.

Being invited to such a prestigious event in a publishing house felt a little bit like I was Charlie when he was handed the keys to the Chocolate Factory.

Exploring shelves carrying the works of contemporary authors I adore, such as Kate Mosse, as well as those I have loved since before I could walk, like Rod Campbell, was a dream come true.

It felt rather uncanny standing in a room with faces I have grown up watching on the television, such as Richard Madeley, or seen presenting the news like Nina Nannar.

A highlight of the night was having a chat with Ed Balls about the reading list on an English Literature degree nowadays, and how relevant The History Man remains in the current climate.

The evening also presented the opportunity to meet with Matthew Bradbury and catch-up with UCP Alumni and former Malcolm Bradbury Trust recipient Kirstie Marfleet, who organised such the evening expertly on behalf of the Trust.

The History Man was the focus of the night, and this was certainly a case of a history worth repeating on my literary journey.