Hokusai was into his seventies when he painted the The Great Wave. He thought he was still an apprentice, might get the hang of things in his 80s and finaly hit his stride in his 90s.
Wonderful list! Did you know that Juliette Gordon Low founded Girl Guides in America, soon renamed Girl Scouts of the USA (founded in England by 50-something Agnes Baden-Powell, the sister of Boy Scouts' founder Lord Baden Powell) at the age of 51? She and Agnes are such role models not only for girls, but for middle-aged women everywhere.
Grateful to have read this - a solid boost of inspiration for me! Thanks to Kirsten Powers for including this in her Sunday recommendations. I've re-ordered your book and look forward to reading it!
Ruhollah Khomeini began to gain significant recognition as a political figure in the 1960s, particularly with his outspoken opposition to the Shah of Iran and the White Revolution. He was in his early 60s at this time. His political activities led to his exile in 1964 when he was about 62 years old. However, his most significant rise to power came when he returned to Iran during the Iranian Revolution in 1979 at the age of 76, subsequently becoming the Supreme Leader of Iran.
Anthony Burgess was 39 when he published his first novel, and went on to write 32 more, plus 25 books of non-fiction and over 250 pieces of music. Despite A Clockwork Orange being seen as a cult youth book, he published it when he was 45.
I fear this will only show that my late blooming is that I'm becoming a fully pedantic weasel, but...forty-nine late bloomers? I guess Michaelangelo is so good that he should be counted twice!
Great list, but I have to take issue with people in their 20s and 30s being considered 'late bloomers'! As for the rest, there is hope for me yet at 68!
Depends what they are doing and what happened to them. Malcolm X is an incredible late blooming story. His autobiography is a must read. It’s all a question of seriously outperforming expectations. There’s no magic number.
Hokusai was into his seventies when he painted the The Great Wave. He thought he was still an apprentice, might get the hang of things in his 80s and finaly hit his stride in his 90s.
One of my favourites!
a good gallop through his life here https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08k1b0q
I have a pile of notes somewhere waiting to be written up for a post about him
I'll turn to this list whenever I'm feeling past it! And Diana Athill wrote her first, wonderful memoir at 43 and went on from there...
Oh yes she’s a great one good thought
And Hope Against Hope, the incredible memoir written by Nadezhda Mandelstam in her sixties
Really looking forward to receiving my copy, it’s an exciting week.
🥳
I looked at Churchill and how he’d have been remembered if he’d died in 1939. As you say, he was regarded pretty much as finished.
https://theideaslab.substack.com/p/reputation-the-luck-of-churchill
Related to #39, there’s a great profile of Audrey Sutherland’s son at age 75 in the New Yorker on 6/3/24: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/06/10/jock-sutherland-profile-surfing
Wonderful list! Did you know that Juliette Gordon Low founded Girl Guides in America, soon renamed Girl Scouts of the USA (founded in England by 50-something Agnes Baden-Powell, the sister of Boy Scouts' founder Lord Baden Powell) at the age of 51? She and Agnes are such role models not only for girls, but for middle-aged women everywhere.
I did not—splendid example!
Grateful to have read this - a solid boost of inspiration for me! Thanks to Kirsten Powers for including this in her Sunday recommendations. I've re-ordered your book and look forward to reading it!
Woo thanks!
Well, that's a nice uplifting post being 62, thank you.
Oh good!
This is fantastic!
Thanks!
Thanks for this list! I’m bookmarking it for current-stage-of-midlife reference 😊
Almost all of Hobbes's work, including Leviathan, was written after he turned 50.
Great one!
Ruhollah Khomeini began to gain significant recognition as a political figure in the 1960s, particularly with his outspoken opposition to the Shah of Iran and the White Revolution. He was in his early 60s at this time. His political activities led to his exile in 1964 when he was about 62 years old. However, his most significant rise to power came when he returned to Iran during the Iranian Revolution in 1979 at the age of 76, subsequently becoming the Supreme Leader of Iran.
I saw this recently! Wish I’d included it in the book.
Anthony Burgess was 39 when he published his first novel, and went on to write 32 more, plus 25 books of non-fiction and over 250 pieces of music. Despite A Clockwork Orange being seen as a cult youth book, he published it when he was 45.
Excellent stuff!
I fear this will only show that my late blooming is that I'm becoming a fully pedantic weasel, but...forty-nine late bloomers? I guess Michaelangelo is so good that he should be counted twice!
Haha well spotted and yes that is my view. He was a double late bloomer and maybe the greatest genius of geniuses.
I believe that the Nobel prize-winning Portuguese author Jose saramago wrote his first novel when he was 63 or so.
Yes good one!
Great list, but I have to take issue with people in their 20s and 30s being considered 'late bloomers'! As for the rest, there is hope for me yet at 68!
Depends what they are doing and what happened to them. Malcolm X is an incredible late blooming story. His autobiography is a must read. It’s all a question of seriously outperforming expectations. There’s no magic number.
I guess I was being too literal. It's not unknown.
Think about the chess lady, Rani Hamid. It’s **insane** how late she started compared to other chess champions.