In Memory of Prue Skene and Alastair Niven

Following the sad loss of Prue Skene earlier this year, we are mourning the passing of another legendary champion of literature, who was a great friend to Arvon over many decades. Alastair Niven OBE LVO Hon FRSL, and recipient of the Benson Medal, was a remarkable individual, whose passionate advocacy made a profound difference to public engagement with literature in the UK for over 40 years. As Bernardine Evaristo noted in the Guardian, he was equally comfortable ‘in the boardroom and at the bar’. His ability to lead and marshal large and complex arts organisations – as Director General of the Africa Centre, Director of Literature at the Arts Council and the British Council, President of English PEN and creator of the David Cohen Prize – was matched by an extraordinarily warm and direct enthusiasm for literature in all its forms, not least the African, Asian and Caribbean voices for which he was a particularly powerful and significant advocate. In the 1980s and 1990s, Alastair played a crucial role in supporting Arvon to grow and to thrive, and he looms large in our collective memory.

As previously recorded elsewhere, we have also been deeply saddened this year by the passing of Prue Skene CBE, who served as Chair of Arvon from 2001-2005, and who remained a stalwart supporter far beyond that time. Prue was a champion of the arts in all its forms, having served as both Executive Director and Chair of the Rambert Dance Company, as well as Chair of Cardboard Citizens, the Stephen Spender Trust and Free Word – Arvon’s former London home. It was during Prue’s tenure as Arvon Chair that The Hurst became Arvon’s third writing house. We will remain forever grateful for her generosity of spirit, her visionary leadership and her unwavering commitment to Arvon’s mission.

We extend our deepest condolences to Prue’s and Alastair’s family and friends. They will never be forgotten.