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Search - List of Books by Libby Purves

For the Australian actress and writer, see Libby Purvis.


Libby Purves OBE (born 2 February 1950 in London, England) is a British radio presenter, journalist and author. A diplomat's daughter, she was educated at convent schools in Israel, Bangkok, South Africa and France, and then Beechwood Sacred Heart School in Tunbridge Wells.

Purves won a scholarship to St Anne's College, Oxford, where she was awarded a First Class degree in English. She was elected Librarian (effectively Vice President) of the Oxford Union. In 1971, she joined the BBC as a studio manager. In 1976, at the age of 28, she joined Brian Redhead on the BBC's Today programme, becoming the show's first female presenter. In 1983 she was, during a four month period, editor of the Tatler magazine.

She currently presents Midweek on BBC Radio 4 and the education programme The Learning Curve. Purves also writes a column for The Times newspaper. She was named columnist of the year in 1999 and in the same year was appointed an OBE for services to journalism.

She has written a series of books on childcare, eleven novels including Mother Country, and a travel book, One Summer's Grace, about a 1700-mile sailing journey round Britain with children aged three and five.

She is married to Paul Heiney and they live near Leiston in Suffolk, close to her mother's home in Southwold. They have one living child, Rose Heiney, an actress and writer, who has also been an occasional columnist for The Times newspaper. Their first child, Nicholas Heiney died on 26 June 2006 at the age of 23. He hanged himself in the family home after a struggle with serious mental illness. A collection of his sea-logs of a Pacific journey under square-rig, and of his poetry, has been published.

Despite her Roman Catholic faith, she is outspokenly in favour of gay rights, and has written many articles supporting this position. In 2009 Libby debated at the Cambridge Union against Dr Glenn Wilson and Rupert Myers on the motion 'This House Would Rather Be Gay'.

Libby Purves is a keen sailor and has a monthly column in the sailing magazine Yachting Monthly and is a regular contributor to The Oldie magazine. She was recently appointed a patron of The British Art Music Series Trust along with James MacMillan and John Wilson. In February 2010 she was appointed The Times drama critic in succession to Benedict Nightingale.
This author page uses material from the Wikipedia article "Libby Purves", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0
Total Books: 93
Acting Up
Acting Up (Hardcover)Paperback
ISBN-13: 9780340826300
ISBN-10: 0340826304
Genre: Literature & Fiction
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All at Sea
All at Sea (Paperback)
ISBN-13: 9780006367642
ISBN-10: 000636764X
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Anansis Regatta
Anansis Regatta (Paperback)
ISBN-13: 9780340696477
ISBN-10: 0340696478
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Casting Off
Casting Off (Hardcover)Paperback, Audio Cassette
ISBN-13: 9780340628164
ISBN-10: 0340628162
Genre: Literature & Fiction
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Comment ne pas lever des enfants parfaits
Comment Ne Pas Lever Des Enfants Parfaits (Paperback)Paperback
ISBN-13: 9782266070393
ISBN-10: 2266070398
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Comment ne pas tre une famille parfaite
Comment Ne Pas Tre Une Famille Parfaite (Paperback)
ISBN-13: 9782266081030
ISBN-10: 2266081039
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Comment ne pas tre une mre parfaite ou L'art de se dbrouiller pour avoir la paix
Como No Educar Un Hijo Perfecto
Como No Educar Un Hijo Perfecto [Spanish Edition] (Paperback)
ISBN-13: 9788475098029
ISBN-10: 8475098029
Genres: Health, Fitness & Dieting, Parenting & Relationships, Nonfiction
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Como No Ser Una Familia Perfecta
Como No Ser Una Familia Perfecta [Spanish Edition] (Paperback)
ISBN-13: 9788449302886
ISBN-10: 8449302889
Genres: Health, Fitness & Dieting, Parenting & Relationships, Nonfiction
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Como No Ser Una Madre Perfecta
Como No Ser Una Madre Perfecta [Spanish Edition] (Paperback)
ISBN-13: 9788475094601
ISBN-10: 8475094600
Genres: Health, Fitness & Dieting, Parenting & Relationships, Nonfiction
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Continental Drift
Continental Drift (Hardcover)Paperback, Hardcover
ISBN-13: 9780340826287
ISBN-10: 0340826282
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Farming
Farming [Young Puffin Books] (Paperback)
ISBN-13: 9780140346374
ISBN-10: 0140346376
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A Free Woman
A Free Woman (Hardcover)Paperback
ISBN-13: 9780340793886
ISBN-10: 0340793880
Genres: Literature & Fiction, Romance
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Getting the Story How the News is Gathered
Getting the Story How the News Is Gathered [Young Puffin Books] (Paperback)
ISBN-13: 9780140360363
ISBN-10: 0140360360
Genres: Business & Money, Children's Books
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Grumpers' Farm Farmyard Stories to Read Aloud
Grumpers' Farm Farmyard Stories to Read Aloud [Collins Story Collection] (Hardcover)Paperback
ISBN-13: 9780001856585
ISBN-10: 0001856588
Genres: Children's Books, Literature & Fiction
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Holy Smoke Religion and Roots  A Personal Memoir
Holy Smoke Religion and Roots a Personal Memoir (Paperback)
ISBN-13: 9780340721605
ISBN-10: 034072160X
Genre: Biographies & Memoirs
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Home Leave
Home Leave (Hardcover)Paperback
ISBN-13: 9780340680407
ISBN-10: 0340680407
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HOW NOT TO BE A PERFECT FAMILY
How Not to Be a Perfect Family (Paperback)Paperback
ISBN-13: 9780006381211
ISBN-10: 0006381219
Genres: Parenting & Relationships, Nonfiction
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How Not to Be a Perfect Mother
HOW NOT TO BE A PERFECT MOTHER THE CRAFTY MOTHER'S GUIDE TO A QUIET LIFE
How Not to Raise a Perfect Child
How Not to Raise a Perfect Child (Paperback)
ISBN-13: 9780006375982
ISBN-10: 0006375987
Genres: Parenting & Relationships, Crafts, Hobbies & Home
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