Sport Speakers - Laurie Taylor
Laurie Taylor is Visiting Professor in the Department of Politics and Sociology at Birbeck College. He was Professor of Sociology at York University 1984 - 1993. He holds honorary degrees from the University of Central England and the University of Nottingham.
His career before university included five years industrial and sales experience with a major rayon producing firm, four years as a librarian for Liverpool City Council, a period as an actor with Joan Littlewood's famous 'Theatre Workshop' and five years teaching experience in a London comprehensive school.
His public lectures are primarily concerned with leadership, motivation, risk-taking, social skills, teamwork, human relations, new technology and all aspects of communications and in the last three years he has achieved over 150 major national and international companies on such topics.
Laurie Taylor is the author and co-author of fourteen books on social psychology, motivation, attitudes to change and the nature of identity in the modern world.
For thirteen years Laurie Taylor was a leading contributor to Radio 4's weekly conversation programme - Stop The Week. From 1986-1993 he wrote and presented the weekly programme devoted to news and reviews of radio - The Radio Programme (nominated in 1990 for a Sony award). His series, Speaking As An Expert in which he appeared as a management consultant, public relations executive, sports scientist, computer systems analyst, and restaurant critic, was transmitted on Radio 4 in 1995.
In January 1995 he also presented five programmes for Radio 4 entitled Now You're Talking in which he examined the following types of communications: public speaking, interview techniques, relationship talk, and talking on radio and television. In addition he has written and presented over fifty feature programmes for BBC Radio on everything from public speaking to modern romance. He is also a regular contributor to Radio Wales and Radio Scotland.
Laurie Taylor's appearance on television include Did You See, The South Bank Show, The Late Show, Everyman, The Media Show, Don't Quote Me, Newsnight, Right To Reply and Without Walls. He has made full length television features for BBC1, BBC2 and Channel 4 on the American student revolution, the fear of crime, drinking behaviour and London University.
In the last three years, Laurie Taylor has written for: The Sunday Telegraph, Daily Mail, Evening Standard, Times Literary Supplement, Yorkshire Post, Sunday Times, Sunday Mirror, The Guardian and The Independent.
He writes a weekly column on radio for The Times, a weekly humorous column for the Times Higher Education Supplement (which has been appearing now for fourteen years) and he contributes a fortnightly column to the New Statesman and Society.
