Peter Paphides
{{short description|British journalist and broadcaster (born 1969)}}
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Peter Paphides (born 1969Lezard, Nick (21 March 2020). [https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/until-he-discovered-pop-music-life-was-all-greek-to-pete-paphides/ "Until he discovered pop music, life was all Greek to Pete Paphides"]. The Spectator. Retrieved 16 September 2023. as Panayiotakis Paphides or Panayiotis Paphides) is a British journalist and broadcaster.
Early life
Paphides was born in Birmingham to a Greek Cypriot father, Chris, and a Greek mother, Victoria.{{cite book |last1=Paphides |first1=Pete |title=Broken Greek |date=2020 |publisher=Quercus |isbn=978-1529404432}} He has an elder brother, Aki. His father ran the 'Great Western' fish bar in Acocks Green, and the family lived upstairs. In 1979, the family moved to the suburb of Olton, where his father ran the 'King Fisher' (now 'George's Fish Bar').
The name Panayiotakis was shortened to "Takis", before he decided he preferred to be called Peter.{{cite news |last1=Harris |first1=John |title=Dave Greenfield: putting beauty at the rotten heart of the Stranglers |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/may/05/dave-greenfield-putting-beauty-at-the-rotten-heart-of-the-stranglers |work=The Guardian |date=5 May 2020 }} As a child, he had a lisp, and when he was three years old he developed selective mutism, wherein he would speak to no-one except his parents and brother.
He read philosophy at the University of Wales, Lampeter.
Career
Between 2005 and 2010 he was employed as the chief rock critic of The Times and presented The Times' weekly music podcast for Sounds Music supplement.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/oct/25/peter-paphides-quits-the-times|title=Chief rock critic Peter Paphides quits the Times|last=Dowell|first=Ben|date=2010-10-25|work=The Guardian|access-date=2019-01-29|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}{{Cite web|url=https://thequietus.com/articles/14262-pete-paphides-podcast-long-player|title=The Quietus {{!}} News {{!}} Pete Paphides Launches New Podcast|website=The Quietus|date=13 January 2014 |language=en-us|access-date=2019-01-29}} Since then, he has worked freelance including for The Guardian,{{cite web |title=Pete Paphides |url=https://www.theguardian.com/profile/peterpaphides |website=the Guardian |access-date=31 August 2021 }} Mojo and Q magazine.{{cite web |title=Articles, interviews and reviews from Pete Paphides |url=https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Writer/pete-paphides |website=Rocks Back Pages |access-date=31 August 2021}} He has also made various documentaries for BBC Radio 4 and made a pilot for BBC 6 Music show Vinyl Revival which was later commissioned for a seven-part series, and was broadcast from 4 December 2011.{{citation needed|date=January 2017}}
In 2019, Paphides launched Needle Mythology, a record label aimed at reissues of old albums that had not previously been available on vinyl.{{Cite web|url=https://completemusicupdate.com/article/pete-paphides-launches-re-issues-label-bringing-ian-broudie-and-stephen-duffy-albums-to-vinyl-for-the-first-time/|title=Complete Music Update {{!}} News {{!}} Pete Paphides launches re-issues label, bringing Ian Broudie and Stephen Duffy albums to vinyl for the first time|website=Complete Music Update|language=en-us|access-date=2020-11-02}} In October 2020, the label released its first album of new material, In Memory of My Feelings, an original collaboration between The Anchoress and Bernard Butler.
Paphides has also written for Melody Maker and Time Out.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Writer/pete-paphides|title=Articles, interviews and reviews from Pete Paphides: Rock's Backpages.|website=www.rocksbackpages.com}}
In 2020 his memoir, Broken Greek, was published by Quercus. The book was reviewed positively by Alan Johnson in New Statesman, who wrote that he had "never read anything that tells the immigrant’s story with such clarity and tenderness".{{Cite web|date=2020-03-04|title=Pete Paphides's Broken Greek: a striking memoir of immigration and music|url=https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/2020/03/pete-paphides-s-broken-greek-striking-memoir-immigration-and-music|access-date=2021-12-08|website=New Statesman|language=en-US}} It won the 2021 RSL Christopher Bland Prize.{{Cite web|date=2021-06-03|title=RSL Christopher Bland Prize 2021 – Winner Announced|url=https://rsliterature.org/2021/06/rsl-christopher-bland-prize-2021-winner-announced/|access-date=2021-06-25|website=Royal Society of Literature|language=en-GB}}
Personal life
He married Times columnist Caitlin Moran on 27 December 1999; they met while both were working for Melody Maker. The couple share a home in North London{{Cite news|last=Crampton|first=Robert|title=Pop critic Pete Paphides: marriage to Caitlin Moran, his new book, Broken Greek, and 50 favourite albums|newspaper=The Times |language=en|url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/books/article/pop-critic-pete-paphides-marriage-to-caitlin-moran-his-new-book-broken-greek-and-50-favourite-albums-z53phnbxm|access-date=2021-12-08|issn=0140-0460}} and have two daughters.{{Cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/caitlin-moran-what-i-know-about-men-20121212-2b957.html|title=Caitlin Moran: what I know about men|first=Robyn|last=Doreian |date=December 15, 2012 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald}}
References
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External links
- [http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/food/story/0,,1614525,00.html Guardian biographical article]
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Category:Journalists from Birmingham, West Midlands
Category:Alumni of the University of Wales, Lampeter
Category:British people of Greek Cypriot descent
Category:British music journalists
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