Gordon Parker is a British novelist and playwright. He has been a literary critic for Tyne Tees Television and BBC Radio Newcastle.
Writing career
He began writing short stories for local radio in the early 1970s and completed his first novel "The Darkness of the Morning" in 1975. It became an immediate best seller. Based on an actual local mining disaster in 1862 it attracted praise from the Country's mining community and had a foreword by Sir Derek Ezra, NCB chairman.The Darkness of the Morning Following publication it had the unusual accolade of a personal letter from US president Jimmy CarterLetter from White House Washington to Parker dated Dec27th 1977 and also being reproduced as an English reader in Russian schoolsProgress Publishers Moscow 1978 and serialised in a prominent Russian magazine.Literaturnaya Gazeta issues 11/12 1983 It was also published in the Netherlands,Publisher:- De Boekerij Baarn well received in JapanPublisher:- Shin Nippon Tokyo.Critic:- Ryoichi Sato. Mainichi Daily News Tokyo. Sept.29th 1984 Literary World. Page17. and Bulgaria.Jusautor,Sofia1986. It was also serialised on BBC Radio Newcastle with an article in the Radio Times by Playwright Tom Haddaway.Radio Times 5 March 1977 Page 7/8 "Voices from the darkness" by Tom Haddaway. It was widely reviewed in the UK as a novel that classically illustrated the battle between miners and mine owners in the 19th century.Sunday Telegraph 9 March 1975.The Times. Susan Hill 3 April 1975.Contemporary Review. Rosalind Wade April 1975.Middlesboro Gazette20th Feb 1975.Whitby Gazette 21 February 1975 It has been likened to the writings of both A.J.CroninEric Hiscock. Books and Bookmen March 1975 Vol20.No6. Issue234. Editor Cis Ameral. and Émile Zola.Alan Hepworth,Literary critic. Middlesboro Gazette 20 February 1975 Two radio plays followed: The Seance and God protect the lonely widow which were both broadcast on local BBC radio stations.BBC Radio Newcastle 1978 Iain Wilson Producer.BBC Radio Tees 1982. The latter to commemorate the Trimdon Pit disaster 1882.
His second novel titled Lightning in May was based on the infamous derailing of the "Flying Scotsman" during the 1926 general strike. This was serialised in the Newcastle Journal to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the event.Newcastle Journal Mon May3rd to Fri May7th 1976 Pages6/8 Titled. "Lightning in May". Lord Ted Willis British Television dramatist and playwright, in his foreword, described Parker as "A bright new talent".The novel was widely reviewedAlasdair Maclean, The Times Literary supplement. 27 August 1976.The Guardian. Norman Schrapnel. 13 May 1976.Newcastle Evening Chronicle 12 June 1976. His third novel The Pool was a satire about corruption in local government. At the time of writing such corruption was headline news and his novel caused a stir among councils up and down the country.Newcastle Journal 1978.News Post. Nov 1978The Times. Elizabeth Berridge January 1979 It prompted a meeting arranged by Georgy Andjaparidze, Senior research fellow of the Gorky institute of World literature to discuss critical approaches to Post War English literature.Letter.Ref SOV/2501/212.to Miss V Wickenden. The British Council, 12 February 1979. The novel was subscribed in Russia for 500,000 copiesAndrew Nurnberg."A guide to the passage of rights between the UK and the Soviet Union" Page1241. The Bookseller. 17 September 1983
Again, a factual event sparked his next novel, "The Action of the Tiger" his first attempt at a "faction" thriller was also internationally successful.Scandbook AB. Falun. B. Wahlstroms. Bokforlag. 1983 This novel involved the US wartime liberty ship SS Richard Montgomery which in 1944 ran aground and was sunk in the Thames estuary with over 2000 tons of bombs and high explosives on board, and remains there to this day. It was widely reviewed with added interest from the area local to the sunken ship.Evening Echo. Southend 20 November 1981.Birmingham Evening Mail. 3 December 1981.Newcastle Journal 12 November 1981.Darlington Evening Despatch 4 December 1981.Newcastle Evening Chronicle 5 December 1981.
After a long lapse due to pressure of his engineering career and now retired, a further novel A Waking of Rooks was published in 2011 as an ebook and is receiving excellent reviews. Described as a rites of passage novel and based in the North East of England in the 1960s it follows the convoluted fortunes of two male teenagers and their path to maturity. His latest novel published in July 2023 is a crime thriller titled 'The Priest and the Whistleblower' and has a fast moving plot with possible drastic world consequences and introducing a tough no nonsense Newcastle based police detective sergeant named Jack Shaftoe.
Life
He has lived in the North East of England since birth but has travelled widely. Educated at Blyth Grammar School and Newcastle Polytechnic he took up an apprenticeship as a marine engineer and later served as an engineer with the Shell Tanker Company before joining the Newcastle office of a Midlands-based engineering company specialising in power station steam raising equipment. He concluded his engineering career as Marketing Manager for Rolls-Royce Nuclear Engineering and then Studsvik,a Swedish company and a world leader specialising in Nuclear Decommissioning.Studsvik UK Ltd. Team Valley, Gateshead. A subsidiary of Studsvik AB with a head office in Nykoping,Sweden.
Gordon Parker is married to Ann and has two daughters Kim and Tracey, four grandsons and six greatgrand children.
Published works
The Darkness of the Morning Bachman and Turner 1975 (reissued Futura 1976) Lightning in May Bachman and Turner 1976 (reissued Futura 1977) The Pool Bachman and Turner 1978 The Action of the Tiger Macdonald 1981 (reissued Futura 1981) A Waking of Rooks Kindle (Ebook) 2011 ASIN B005LDNL48 The Priest and the Whistleblower Burton Mayers Books 2023
References