BoPL

Alan Coren, author, broadcaster, columnist, take your pick, has died aged 69. Coren has a small place in my heart as the first grown-up humourist I read, probably when I was in my early teens. Until then I liked funny stuff, of course, but my definition of what was funny was, well, that of someone in their early teens. Coren had a lovely relaxed writing style that could carry you along for several pages before you realized that he was being on occasion quite venomous (though never unjustly). You can sample a few of his pieces at The Times.