Papers of John Perkin

Scope and Content

Records collected by John Perkin in his role as editor of Guardian Weekly. This includes a written memoir, notes and reports issued to Guardian staff, newspaper cuttings, empherma relating to Guardian anniversaries and events and a photograph.

Administrative / Biographical History

John Sydney Perkin was born in Macclesfield, Cheshire in 1929. He was educated at King's School in Macclesfield and won a state state scholarship to Magdalen College, Oxford, where he was tutored by CS Lewis.

He trained as a journalist with Westminster Press, first at Barrow-in-Furness and then at the daily Yorkshire Observer in Bradford. In 1955 he joined the Manchester Guardian's foreign desk. In 1969 he was appointed editor of the Guardian Weekly. He retired as editor of the Weekly in 1993 but continued to work as Guardian crossword editor until c1996.

Access Information

Open. Records may be viewed in our reading room by appointment only, see our website for more information.

Acquisition Information

The memoir is part of a project by the Guardian to gather material for the archive and the papers were deposited by Perkin's widow following his death.

Other Finding Aids

A full catalogue description for this collection can be found on the GNM Archive catalogue.