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By Cope, Wendy Life, Love and The Archers: recollections, reviews and other prose Paperback - April 2015
Wendy Cope has long been one of the nation's best-loved poets, with her sharp eye for human foibles and wry sense of humour. For the first time, Life, Love and the Archers brings together the best of her prose - recollections, reviews and essays from the light-hearted to the serious, taken from a lifetime of published and unpublished work, and all with Cope's lightness of touch.
Here readers can meet the Enid-Blyton-obsessed schoolgirl, the ambivalent daughter, the amused teacher, the sensitive journalist, the cynical romantic and the sardonic television critic, as well as touching on books and writers who have informed a lifetime of reading and writing.
Wendy Cope is a master of the one-liner as well as the couplet, the telling review as well as the sonnet, and Life, Love and the Archers gives us a wonderfully entertaining and unforgettable portrait of one of England's favourite writers.
A book for anyone who's ever fallen in love, tried to give up smoking, or consoled themselves that they'll never be quite as old as Mick Jagger.
Here readers can meet the Enid-Blyton-obsessed schoolgirl, the ambivalent daughter, the amused teacher, the sensitive journalist, the cynical romantic and the sardonic television critic, as well as touching on books and writers who have informed a lifetime of reading and writing.
Wendy Cope is a master of the one-liner as well as the couplet, the telling review as well as the sonnet, and Life, Love and the Archers gives us a wonderfully entertaining and unforgettable portrait of one of England's favourite writers.
A book for anyone who's ever fallen in love, tried to give up smoking, or consoled themselves that they'll never be quite as old as Mick Jagger.
Paperback
First published November 6, 2014
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About the author
Wendy Cope
63 books415 followersWendy Cope was educated at Farringtons School, Chislehurst, London and then, after finishing university at St Hilda's College, Oxford, she worked for 15 years as a primary school teacher in London.
In 1981, she became Arts and Reviews editor for the Inner London Education Authority magazine, 'Contact'. Five years later she became a freelance writer and was a television critic for 'The Spectator magazine' until 1990.
Her first published work 'Across the City' was in a limited edition, published by the Priapus Press in 1980 and her first commercial book of poetry was 'Making Cocoa for Kingsley Amis' in 1986. Since then she has published two further books of poetry and has edited various anthologies of comic verse.
In 1987 she received a Cholmondeley Award for poetry and in 1995 the American Academy of Arts and Letters Michael Braude Award for light verse. In 2007 she was one of the judges for the Man Booker Prize.
In 1998 she was the BBC Radio 4 listeners' choice to succeed Ted Hughes as Poet Laureate and when Andrew Motion's term of office ended in 2009 she was once again considered as a replacement.
She was awarded the OBE in the Queen's 2010 Birthday Honours List.
Gerry Wolstenholme
February 2011
In 1981, she became Arts and Reviews editor for the Inner London Education Authority magazine, 'Contact'. Five years later she became a freelance writer and was a television critic for 'The Spectator magazine' until 1990.
Her first published work 'Across the City' was in a limited edition, published by the Priapus Press in 1980 and her first commercial book of poetry was 'Making Cocoa for Kingsley Amis' in 1986. Since then she has published two further books of poetry and has edited various anthologies of comic verse.
In 1987 she received a Cholmondeley Award for poetry and in 1995 the American Academy of Arts and Letters Michael Braude Award for light verse. In 2007 she was one of the judges for the Man Booker Prize.
In 1998 she was the BBC Radio 4 listeners' choice to succeed Ted Hughes as Poet Laureate and when Andrew Motion's term of office ended in 2009 she was once again considered as a replacement.
She was awarded the OBE in the Queen's 2010 Birthday Honours List.
Gerry Wolstenholme
February 2011
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
October 2, 2022
Witty and self-depreciating collection of little gems. Her best poems, funny as they often are, constantly veer between repression and catharsis. The latter claims the field here and all the better for it.
Perhaps it's Cope's very English fear of seeming self important, like Robert Lowell at his worst, or giving the public just another misery memoir that has held her back until now. Even though this is a miscellany, you feel the weight of trauma bearing down on a quiet, decent and humane person.
The pieces on the joys of reading Molesworth, Doug Dunn's Terry Street and teaching Ted Hughes to schoolchildren are excellent. I also rate the TV reviews highly, and I finished the book wishing there had been more of them.
Perhaps it's Cope's very English fear of seeming self important, like Robert Lowell at his worst, or giving the public just another misery memoir that has held her back until now. Even though this is a miscellany, you feel the weight of trauma bearing down on a quiet, decent and humane person.
The pieces on the joys of reading Molesworth, Doug Dunn's Terry Street and teaching Ted Hughes to schoolchildren are excellent. I also rate the TV reviews highly, and I finished the book wishing there had been more of them.
October 14, 2015
Wendy Cope became famous for her collection of poetry called Making Cocoa for Kingsley Amis. People who read a lot of poetry enjoyed it; and people who didn't read a lot of poetry also enjoyed it, because it was funny and clever.
This book is a collection of snippets from a biography she never published, together with articles she published in various places.
After reading it, I felt I'd had a fun, interesting coversation with her. I was moved by her early memories, especially her difficult relationship with her mother. And I laughed at many of her television reviews.
Nowadays writers can publish a book like this by collecting together their blog articles or online diary items. With a good editor, it is a fairly swift book to produce. Making it funny or moving is the challenge.
This book is a collection of snippets from a biography she never published, together with articles she published in various places.
After reading it, I felt I'd had a fun, interesting coversation with her. I was moved by her early memories, especially her difficult relationship with her mother. And I laughed at many of her television reviews.
Nowadays writers can publish a book like this by collecting together their blog articles or online diary items. With a good editor, it is a fairly swift book to produce. Making it funny or moving is the challenge.
August 24, 2018
a great books of stories and tales from the life of Wendy cope
i love her poems and this just gave me some back story to Wendy
loved it
i love her poems and this just gave me some back story to Wendy
loved it
December 14, 2015
A set of recollections never written with publication in mind? Mildly interesting, but probably should have stayed unpublished. On the other hand, I really enjoyed the sharp, witty reviews which originally appeared in The Spectator in the early 1990s and now have the added benefit of inducing nostalgia for a time when TV viewing was a much simpler habit.
March 9, 2020
Any collection of articles or short stories is bound to have hits and misses, this one isn't any different.
There were pieces that i liked, pieces i found mediocre or dated, a few i didn't enjoy (thankfully not too many of those).
I'm glad i read this collection before reading any more of Copes poetry, because i feel that reading it has given me a better understanding of her as a poet and hope that understanding will enable me to appreciate and therefore enjoy her other work more.
I found the sections on her depression and her early especially resonated with me and the section about poetry very interesting. Reading her write about Poetry has made me want to read more of it. I'm especially interested to read something by Gavin Ewart and more of Copes own poetry.
I'd also like to read 'Down with skool' and the rest of the series, after reading her two articles on it, it seems seems facinating.
Overall the collection was worth the read and i'm glad i took the time.
There were pieces that i liked, pieces i found mediocre or dated, a few i didn't enjoy (thankfully not too many of those).
I'm glad i read this collection before reading any more of Copes poetry, because i feel that reading it has given me a better understanding of her as a poet and hope that understanding will enable me to appreciate and therefore enjoy her other work more.
I found the sections on her depression and her early especially resonated with me and the section about poetry very interesting. Reading her write about Poetry has made me want to read more of it. I'm especially interested to read something by Gavin Ewart and more of Copes own poetry.
I'd also like to read 'Down with skool' and the rest of the series, after reading her two articles on it, it seems seems facinating.
Overall the collection was worth the read and i'm glad i took the time.
December 21, 2019
Many years ago when I was a young man I endured a longish period of umemployment. I spent a lot of time in the library, and while there read (among much else) a left-wing magazine called The New Statesman. The best thing in it was the literary parody competition, and the best entries were by someone called Wendy Cope. I regret to say I do not recall how or when I bought her first book of poetry, Making Cocoa for Kingsley Amis, nor what made me do so. But I did, and fell in love at once. This book is a collection of her prose writing, and the memoir sections are just as witty and funny and yet entirely serious and thought-provoking as her poetry is. I loved too her cogent and pithy observations on the practice of writing, and agree entirely with her passionate defence of copyright. I'm only knocking a star off because the television reviews of long-forgotten programmes are mostly not very interesting.
February 1, 2022
A very readable set of essays and reviews, some which hadn’t been published before. Cope is a witty writer who is extremely observant of humans and their foibles: I really did laugh out loud at some of them.
Interesting for me was that she had been a teacher in South East London when I first started out and I recognised the pupils and teachers she described as well as many of the texts I used with young people to promote good writing such as Ted Hughes.
Some of her more serious writing touches on the difficult relationship she had with her mother which I found rather tantalising and wanted to know more as that must have been the reason she went into therapy for a number of years.
Light hearted and very readable this was an interesting read.
Interesting for me was that she had been a teacher in South East London when I first started out and I recognised the pupils and teachers she described as well as many of the texts I used with young people to promote good writing such as Ted Hughes.
Some of her more serious writing touches on the difficult relationship she had with her mother which I found rather tantalising and wanted to know more as that must have been the reason she went into therapy for a number of years.
Light hearted and very readable this was an interesting read.
January 2, 2021
A fascinating read as many of the articles go back to the 1980s. There are times when I felt completely in harmony with her views and others not so much and that added to its appeal. I felt strongly that this was an honest recollection rather than one devised to please the reader. Strongly recommended whether you know her work and appreciate it or not.
August 12, 2025
Wendy cope is funny, clever, spirited, writes so well, and some of her essays make you think.
BUT the collection was too disjointed and jumbled for me, I would’ve liked it to have a narrative and not just seem like her editor picked a bunch of stuff from her archives at random, vaguely sorted it into sections, and then published it.
Made me want to read more poetry.
3.5
BUT the collection was too disjointed and jumbled for me, I would’ve liked it to have a narrative and not just seem like her editor picked a bunch of stuff from her archives at random, vaguely sorted it into sections, and then published it.
Made me want to read more poetry.
3.5
May 26, 2021
I picked this up as something I could dip into at a lunchtime - but it all felt a bit too piecemeal and Just a handful of chapters in I found I was reading it without any great interest or remembrance of what went before, so time to abandon.
March 24, 2024
An easy ready for me because I love Wendy Cope.
Some chapters were a miss for me, as always is the case with books like this. But most were so great and I love the way she writes. Totally recommend for any Cope fans.
Some chapters were a miss for me, as always is the case with books like this. But most were so great and I love the way she writes. Totally recommend for any Cope fans.
December 30, 2023
Amusing and entertaining collection of reviews and essays.
September 10, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
Some really great, funny essays but some less interesting ones too
Some really great, funny essays but some less interesting ones too
March 27, 2020
The simplistic style which I love so well in her poems reads very juvenile in her prose. The subject material was uninteresting and the tone self-important.
April 26, 2015
I was looking forward to reading this book as I am a fan of Wendy Cope’s poetry.
I liked the autographical parts, some of which I related too, being of a similar age. Change on wires in departmental stores, difficulties of finding identity, depression, wanting to do something creative for its own sake (art in my case), realising that growing old gracefully depends a lot on how you feel physically. I too looked for something positive in each day rather than dwelling on the past or future. And yes, I did put life into verse when times got tough, and no - I didn’t show anyone! I did not get round to the sex and fags though!
I found the book reviews a bit difficult, as I was unfamiliar with the authors. Down with Skool sounds amusing, worth looking out for. In order to appreciate them, I should look up the authors, but I can’t be bothered.
Ladies Do not rescue Princes, was very humorous, with the underlying gender stereotypes questioned.
It was a readable format to have short chapters, dodging all over the place, like life itself. I felt it lost momentous at times though, e.g. the interviews were not all that interesting – but then all of life is not interesting.
I’m surprised Wendy got hooked on rubbish TV – I’ll try not to feel too bad when I’m similarly tempted. I too had a Suduko phase, to “keep the mind active”. I’ve now moved on to on line competitions, equally timewasting, but with the occasional kick of winning. Thank you Goodsreads for the books that come through the letter box!
I liked the autographical parts, some of which I related too, being of a similar age. Change on wires in departmental stores, difficulties of finding identity, depression, wanting to do something creative for its own sake (art in my case), realising that growing old gracefully depends a lot on how you feel physically. I too looked for something positive in each day rather than dwelling on the past or future. And yes, I did put life into verse when times got tough, and no - I didn’t show anyone! I did not get round to the sex and fags though!
I found the book reviews a bit difficult, as I was unfamiliar with the authors. Down with Skool sounds amusing, worth looking out for. In order to appreciate them, I should look up the authors, but I can’t be bothered.
Ladies Do not rescue Princes, was very humorous, with the underlying gender stereotypes questioned.
It was a readable format to have short chapters, dodging all over the place, like life itself. I felt it lost momentous at times though, e.g. the interviews were not all that interesting – but then all of life is not interesting.
I’m surprised Wendy got hooked on rubbish TV – I’ll try not to feel too bad when I’m similarly tempted. I too had a Suduko phase, to “keep the mind active”. I’ve now moved on to on line competitions, equally timewasting, but with the occasional kick of winning. Thank you Goodsreads for the books that come through the letter box!
August 10, 2015
As a fan of Cope's poetry I approached in high expectation. I was slightly disappointed by the autobiographical items but much of the rest I thought very enjoyable and amusing. I hadn't realised she was a TV and radio critic for a time, I was very struck by her partners comment that her gravestone could read Wendy Cope- all rights reserved. I had never thought before how copyright issues might affect poets.
I was sufficiently interested that I went to see her at the Lichfield Festival although more as an admirer than because of this book which as it happened was the theme of her presentation.
I was sufficiently interested that I went to see her at the Lichfield Festival although more as an admirer than because of this book which as it happened was the theme of her presentation.
April 15, 2016
I picked this up because I have never read any of Wendy Cope's poetry. I wan't left with any urge to hunt her work out. I don't like the Archers either.
The most interesting thing about this collection of bits of writing to me was the fact that a woman who has had many things I would have loved (She's clever! She went to Oxford! She was organised enough to hold down a professional job for 16 years.) can still be unhappy. It should be self evident by now, but I still need reminding that life is what you make it, not what you started out with.
The most interesting thing about this collection of bits of writing to me was the fact that a woman who has had many things I would have loved (She's clever! She went to Oxford! She was organised enough to hold down a professional job for 16 years.) can still be unhappy. It should be self evident by now, but I still need reminding that life is what you make it, not what you started out with.
July 17, 2015
DNF. I like Cope's poems, but the fact that this collection was cobbled together by her agent looking for 'publishable' material in her archives should perhaps have been a warning to me. I stumbled through some of it but, although she has both acute sense of observation and recollection, her prose is utterly flat and dull, so I gave up quite quickly, as I was completely unengaged.
November 23, 2014
Utterly tedious. Disappointing.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews