Page 2 - HGS Suburb News 138 - Spring 2019
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Keith Sambrook 1925-2019 Free Church Night Shelter
Publisher and Suburb resident little, the pain I feel at losing a The Night Shelter project ran in On average 15 guests, mainly Now the last cycle of the
Keith Sambrook died peacefully friend, a great literary editor, and, the winter months from October men and a few women arrived 2018/9 Winter Shelter is coming
in hospital on New Year’s Day for me, a literary mentor. to the end of April, with each at the Free Church Hall for a to an end we have been asked if
2019, following a short illness. Keith’s years at HEB were full venue hosting one night a week hearty 3-course meal prepared we are willing to help the
Born in Birstall, Leicester, in and rewarding. Keith and Hana’s for 10 consecutive weeks, in and donated by volunteers. We Homeless through the summer
1925, Keith was educated at Lough- daughter Katie remembers the three cycles. provided a range of small sized months with a new ‘Light Shelter’.
borough Grammar School, where family home as a frequent The HGS Free Church started toiletries, tissues and sometimes This entails offering the space for
he remembered fire-watching gathering place for authors and its nine Tuesday nights of the socks for the guests to take away the night, with two volunteers
from the school tower as a publishers from all over the middle cycle of the winter shelter with them. After eating, some sleeping over as before, with no
sixth-former during the War. University in 1946, staying on in world and Keith made numerous on December 18 last year and enjoyed scrabble or table tennis arrangements for meals, but
Keith served in the Royal Navy Scotland after the Communist trips abroad, particularly to completed on February 19, when and then settled to sleep. We with the usual transport of
from 1944-47, first on Russian coup of 1948 in her homeland. Africa, the Caribbean and the we sadly said goodbye to the served them breakfast before bedrolls. At the time of writing
convoys (which he hated) and Keith and Hana enjoyed Far East. people we had got to know a they left. the Free Church has offered the
then in the Mediterranean, an their life in Edinburgh, where After retirement Keith lectured little and gave them our best During the day volunteers premises and will organise this
experience of seminal importance they had a wide circle of friends, in publishing at University wishes for the coming months. from the previous night shelter, again at the hall, and the
in his life. Although he saw but in 1963 Keith was invited College London and in book A total of 22 different guests in our case it was the New North volunteers are being canvassed
little action, the war in the by its chairman, Alan Hill, to history at the Institute of English had stayed with us. Being in the London Synagogue, delivered the for their help.
Mediterranean being largely won take up a senior position at Studies, University of London, Suburb on the first night some bedrolls to the Hall. These rolls If anyone else can offer to
by that time, he gained a lifelong Heinemann Educational Books where he was an Associate Fellow. guests inevitably got lost but all were a thin mattress, sleeping sleep overnight in the hall on a
affection for the Navy and his (HEB) in London, and he and With characteristic generosity eventually arrived, wet, cold bag and pillow all in a bag with Tuesday night or can help with
first visits to Italy and France Hana moved to the Suburb. he refused to accept any fees for and very glad to find a friendly the client’s name on it. The bedroll transport during May,
inspired him with a love for Alan was himself a Suburb his teaching, asking instead welcome, a hot meal and a following day our volunteers June and July then please email
European landscapes and culture. resident (in Northway) and that the funds saved be put warm, safe place to sleep. took these rolls by car to the jo_morris@btinternet.com.
Demobbed in 1947, Keith Keith and Hana took an instant towards supporting student It was a salutary experience Islamic Association of North Volunteers must be over 18
went up to Cambridge to read liking to the area and moved to bursaries. The university has but for the 50 volunteers who London in North Finchley, which years old, you do not have to be
English Literature, graduating in their house in Farm Walk. honoured his wishes by creating came forward to help from all was hosting Wednesday night. DBS checked but you will have
1950. Here he took his first steps As overseas director at HEB, a bursary scheme in his name. communities within the Suburb, We have since been advised to attend a training session (a
in publishing, via one of the Keith was instrumental in the Keith loved living on the and a few beyond, it was a by the organisation Together in couple of hours) at Housing
university’s literary magazines; firm’s international success, setting Suburb. A keen gardener, he was pleasure to be doing something Barnet, who sent the guests to Action for Barnet.
he remembered travelling to up Heinemann companies around a member of the Horticultural to help, however little that felt. us through Homeless Action in To our existing volunteers we
Oxford to interview the young the world. Perhaps his greatest Society and won prizes for his Each Tuesday night a new team Barnet, that a total of 13 people offer our very warmest thanks
Kenneth Tynan. His first job after achievement, however, was to roses. He was also a competent bonded over a fine supper using the shelters this winter for all of their help and support.
graduation was with Manchester oversee, in partnership with the cook, with home-made ice- shared with the guests. have been rehoused. JO MORRIS
University Press, where he novelist Chinua Achebe, the creams a particular forte, and
worked on academic titles in transformational African Writers enjoyed playing tennis.
the social sciences. Series. The inspiration of Alan Keith retained throughout
In 1954 Keith moved to Hill, it aimed to provide students his zest for life, his intellectual
Edinburgh to take up a post in African schools and universities acuity and his keen interest in
with the leading educational with imaginative works by their the world around him. In the
publishers, Thomas Nelson fellow Africans and to introduce last days of his life, though in
where he worked on school and African writers to an international intensive care with pneumonia
university textbooks. His work literary audience. On his first day and heart failure, he engaged the
now often took him abroad and at HEB Keith found the manuscript hospital staff in conversation
he experienced at first hand the of Ngugi wa Thiong’o’s first about Brexit and made sure that
‘Wind of Change’ blowing over novel, Weep not, child, on his he was up to date with the
Africa, spending much of 1957, desk, and Ngugi, Achebe, Wole fortunes of Leicester City football
the year of Ghanaian independ- Soyinka and Kwame Nkrumah club. A devoted husband and
ence, establishing a university were among the many leading father, a supportive mentor to
press there and much of the African writers whose works authors, publishers and students,
following year in Lagos, were published in the series. Keith was an unassuming man
establishing a Nigerian office At Keith’s funeral at St Jude’s of unfailing courtesy with a
for Nelson. his former colleague James keen sense of humour. He will
While in Edinburgh Keith Currey read out a moving be much missed by his family
met Hana, who shared Keith’s tribute from Ngugi wa Thiong’o: and friends.
love of the world of books, and Keith Sambrook contributed to the Keith is survived by his wife
they married in 1956. Born in brook that streams through literary Hana and daughter Katie.
what was then Czechoslovakia, Africa … He is part of the soul of a KATIE SAMBROOK
she had come to Edinburgh continent. And this ameliorates a (with contributions from James Currey)
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