Melvyn Bragg

Director & actor · born 6 October 1939 · Carlisle, UK

Melvyn Bragg, Baron Bragg, CH, HonFRS, FRSL, FBA (born 6 October 1939), is an English broadcaster, author and parliamentarian. He is best known for his work as editor and presenter of The South Bank Show (1978–2010, 2012–2023), and for the BBC Radio 4 documentary series In Our Time.

Earlier in his career, Bragg worked for the BBC in various roles including presenter, a connection that resumed in 1988 when he began to host Start the Week on Radio 4. After his ennoblement in 1998, he switched to presenting the new In Our Time, an academic discussion radio programme, which has run to over 900 broadcast editions and is a popular podcast. He was Chancellor of the University of Leeds from 1999 until 2017.

Where to start: No Angel: A Life of Marlene Dietrich (1996).