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Edward Fairchild Watling was a school-master, classicist and translator. He was born on 8 October 1899, married 1928 Cicely Porter (died 1982; one daughter) and died on 6 September 1990. He is notable for translations for Penguin Classics of Sophocles's Theban Plays, nine plays of Plautus and a selection of Seneca's tragedies.

He was educated at Christ's Hospital and University College, Oxford. He taught Classics at King Edward VII School Sheffield from 1924 until his retirement in 1960.

He contributed considerably to amateur dramatics in Sheffield both as actor and producer, initially for the Sheffield Playgoers and later in Geoffrey Ost's productions at the Sheffield Playhouse.

He also wrote sketches for the West End revues of André Chariot, and was a regular reviewer of both books and theatre for the Sheffield Telegraph. As "Marcus", he compiled crosswords for The Listener until he was in his seventies.

[edit] References

• The Independent, Obituaries, 21 September 1990
• Material on Old Edwardians site
• Penguin books page for Watling