(This in-depth biography traces the lives and careers of t...)
This in-depth biography traces the lives and careers of the iconic duo, from their childhood in New York and their early records as Tom and Jerry, to their stupendous popularity and defining role in the 60s pop scene.
(Hounds At Home is a collection of stories which depict wh...)
Hounds At Home is a collection of stories which depict what it’s like to live with greyhounds, when they have been adopted and left the caring kennels that have given them sanctuary.
Victoria Kingston is a British author. In 1996, she became a full-time writer, doing magazine interviews with authors and actors from stage and screen.
Background
Victoria Kingston was born in 1956, in Wednesfield, England, the United Kingdom. Victoria grew up in “trade.” In Wednesfield, where she was born and spent her toddler years, her mother ran a haberdashery shop in the village. The family moved to Leicester, where they had a china shop. Victoria loved to help her mother - packing tea sets and dinner services, dusting and pricing up. She also helped her Uncle Victor count the takings ready for the bank. She still recalls those piles of huge pennies with great pleasure.
When she was nine, the family emigrated to Australia and later New Zealand, returning to London at age 13. Her teenage years were spent enjoying books, films, market shopping - and dogs. She studied singing with Eve Boswell, the popular 40’s entertainer. She was confined at home for much of this time, with lengthy and painful knee operations.
Education
Victoria graduated with an English degree from University College London, then qualified as a teacher at London University.
Victoria worked as a lecturer in English for almost two decades. She is also an experienced private tutor.
In 1996, she became a full-time writer, doing magazine interviews with authors and actors from stage and screen: Wendy Craig, Timothy West, Susan Hampshire, Katie Fforde, Richard Attenborough.
For some time, she hosted Monday Books, a popular, weekly book program on Thames FM, serving an audience of almost a million people in South-West London and North Surrey. She also edited a web lifestyle magazine, Bowl of Cherries, which one reader described as: “a web version of Radio Four.”
Victoria is a respected critic of books and audiobooks. For some years, she was a judge for the Spoken Word Awards, a prestigious annual event held at The Dorchester Hotel. The awards honored actors, producers, and publishers of the year’s audiobooks. Victoria judged the Biography entries and was also on the Short List Panel. Winning actors included: Felicity Kendal, Isla Blair, Patricia Hodge.
Victoria has written five books: Simon and Garfunkel, the Definitive Biography, published in hardback and paperback in the UK and the USA, and available on Kindle, Hounds At Home, a collection of stories about greyhounds (co-written with Hilary Johnson), two collections of her poetry: A Thousand Steps and Gathering Rosebuds, and Doggy Mixtures, a collection of diverse stories about many breeds of dog.
(Hounds At Home is a collection of stories which depict wh...)
2013
Views
Victoria is a supporter of animal charities.
Personality
Victoria Kingston feels she belongs in two places: London, where she spent much of her life, and the Midlands where she was born. When she is in Staffordshire, she spends a lot of time with her extended family, whose company is priceless. When she is in London, she regularly complains about the traffic, noise, and pollution, but that is part of belonging there.
She and her husband David have several rescue greyhounds.
Quotes from others about the person
In 2011, Victoria was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a grueling year of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery. The treatments were successful, and the ordeal made Victoria realize she must seize the day.