John Galbraith Graham

John Graham in 2013

The Reverend John Galbraith Graham MBE (16 February 1921 – 26 November 2013) was a British crossword maker. He wrote his first crossword for The Guardian in July 1958. From 1970 until he died, he made crosswords for The Guardian under the name "Araucaria". Araucaria is a monkey puzzle tree. In 1984, he made a crossword magazine called 1 Across. He died of oesophagal cancer in 2013.[1] Collections of his crosswords have been published. In 2005 he was made a MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire).

Early life

Graham went to King's College, Cambridge in 1939. In 1942 he joined the Royal Air Force. His job was flying planes. In 1946 he went back to King's College. He studied theology there. Then he went to Ely Theological College. In 1948, the Church of England made him a priest.[2]

References

  1. "Top Guardian crossword setter Araucaria - the Rev John Graham from Somersham- has died after announcing his terminal illness in a puzzle | Cambridge News | Latest News Headlines from Cambridge City & Cambridgeshire | National News by Cambridge News". Archived from the original on 2013-11-29. Retrieved 2013-11-27.
  2. Perkin, John; Stephenson, Hugh (26 November 2013). "Araucaria obituary" – via www.theguardian.com.