John Michael Derrick (3 January 1915 – 5 August 1961) was a leading figure in

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journalism Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree. The word, a noun, applies to the occupation (pro ...

in mid-20th-century England.

Life

Derrick was the son of the cartoonist Thomas Derrick, and older brother of the writer Christopher Derrick. John Derrick was raised in rural

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in England and attended the Douai School in Woolhampton. As a young man, Derrick entered the

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, On a school holiday in

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, Derrick became incapacitated by a severe

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that took several years of recovery. During his convalescence, he wrote ''The Portugal of Salazar'' (1938), a sympathetic study of the

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regime of dictator

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in Portugal. In 1938, Derrick was hired as an assistant editor of ''

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''. He worked for the magazine until his death, throughout the period of the weekly newspaper's greatest prestige."Woodruff, Douglas"
''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography''
He frequently wrote the editorial "Notebook" column. In 1956, Derrick also became the editor of the '' Dublin Review'', Derrick also wrote pamphlets for the Catholic Truth Society and for Sword of the Spirit, and translated a number of books on Catholic subjects. Derrick was Chairman of the

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, and from 1958 Secretary of the

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. He stood as the Liberal candidate for Reading North in the 1950 election, losing to the Labour candidate. In 1951, Derrick married Anneliese Burkhardt, and the couple moved to Petersham. They had two sons. For a few months before his death, Derrick served as the London correspondent of ''

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''. On 29 July 1961, Derrick fell seriously ill. He died on 5 August 1961, a few hours after receiving the

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Publications

Books

*''The Portugal of Salazar''. London: Sands; Paladin Press, 1938.

Pamphlets and essays

*''A guerra e a aliança luso-britânica''. Lisboa: Bertrand, 1940. *''Eastern Catholics under Soviet Rule''. London: Sword of the Spirit and The Tablet, 1946. *''Cardinal Mindszenty''. Sword Pamphlet. London: Richard Madley, 948 *'The Treasonable Clerks of 1848', '' Dublin Review'' 442 (1948), pp. 49–67. *''Persecution in Poland''. London: Sword of the Spirit, 953 *''Tito and the Catholic Church''. With a foreword by Cardinal Griffin. London: Sword of the Spirit, 953 *''Spain and Colombia: the Position of Protestants''. London: Catholic Truth Society, 955 *''Pope John XXIII''. London: Catholic Truth Society, 1958. *'Epilogue' to Zsolt Aradi, ''John XXIII, Pope of the Council''. London: Burns & Oates,

961 Year 961 (Roman numerals, CMLXI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * March 6 – Siege of Chandax: Byzantine forces under Nikephoro ...

Books edited or translated

* Lou Tseng-Tsiang, ''Ways of Confucius and of Christ'', tr. Michael Derrick. London: Burns & Oates, 1948. *Nazareno Padellaro, ''Portrait of Pius XII'', tr. Michael Derrick etc. London: J. M. Dent & Sons, 1956. *

Wladimir d'Ormesson Wladimir d'Ormesson (2 August 1888, Saint Petersburg – 15 September 1973) was a French essayist, novelist, journalist and diplomat. He was successively ambassador in Vatican City, Buenos Aires and Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as ...

, ''The Papacy'', tr. Michael Derrick. Faith and Fact Books no. 80. London: Burns & Oates, 1959. *René Metz, ''What is Canon Law?'', tr. Michael Derrick. Faith and Fact Books no. 79. London: Burns & Oates, 1960. *William Eric Brown, ''The Catholic Church in South Africa: from its origins to the present day'', ed. Michael Derrick. London: Burns & Oates, 1960.

References

External links

Photograph
on Derrick/Clausen family history blog. {{DEFAULTSORT:Derrick, Michael English male journalists English essayists English Roman Catholics Roman Catholic writers Converts to Roman Catholicism People educated at Douai School 1915 births 1961 deaths British male essayists French–English translators 20th-century translators 20th-century essayists 20th-century English male writers Burials at St Peter's, Petersham