Terence Tiller


Terence Rogers Tiller was an English poet and radio producer.

Early life

Tiller was born in Truro, Cornwall. He studied history at Jesus College, Cambridge, where he graduated with a starred first-class BA degree in 1937 and won the Chancellor's Medal for English Verse. He then lectured in medieval history at Cambridge from 1937 to 1939. During World War II he taught English literature at the University of Cairo.

BBC

In 1946 he joined the BBC Features Department; and was a known Fitzrovian. In 1955 he was producer of the first BBC radio adaptation of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. He later brought work by Mervyn Peake to the airwaves. In 1964 he moved to the Drama Department; he has written and produced radio scripts on a wide range of subjects, but mainly on history, literature and mythology. His work on the weekly chess programme on the Third Programme led to his book Chess Treasury of the Air.