Peter Gowan

“It is with great sadness that we write to inform you that Peter died at 9am on Friday 12 June. On Wednesday he had a severe problem breathing and was taken to hospital, where he died two days later in his sleep with his family around him.

Up until early this week Peter was still very active and spent time in his local cafe enjoying a coffee, spaghetti bolognese (with chilli oil) and the Financial Times with friends and family.  He battled against the cancer with great courage, strength and determination, without complaint until the very end.  He maintained his good humour and ability to put people around him at ease.  He faced his future head on and spent many hours helping his family come to terms and plan for the future.

Peter played a huge part in our lives and we will miss him dearly.  He has influenced many lives with his generosity; and thirst and enthusiasm for knowledge and sharing; and his sense of adventure.

His wish was to set up a fund to be able to award a prize to a graduate student in International Relations at his University, The London Metropolitan University.  We have decided to set up this fund through the Lipman-Miliband Trust which for the last 30 years has been dedicated to socialist education and research.  If you would like to contribute to this prize fund there are several ways in which you can do this:

Money should be sent by cheque to the Lipman-Miliband Trust, POB
64726 London NW1W 8EN

or on line to:

Lipman Miliband Trust
CAF Bank Ltd
West Malling
Kent
Sort code 40-52-40
Account no 00090866
By Foreign Direct Payment
If you would like to make a payment from abroad please send in the following way:
Lipman-Miliband Trust registered charity No267288, Bank account no. 00090866, sort code 40-02-40, reference P Gowan Prize.
HSBC, Poultry and Princes St Branch, London
Swift Branch ID Code BIC MIDLGB 2141W
Favour CafBank Ltd
Sort Code/Acct No. 400530 72138549  IBAN No GB48MIDL4005307213 8549

On behalf of Peter and the family thank you for all your kind words and messages of support over the last couple of months.

Halya, Boris, Marko and Ivan.”

Peter was a long standing member of the New Left Review editorial board, a pioneering scholar of Eastern European politics and economics and the author of The Global Gamble: Washington’s Faustian Bid for World Dominance.

Read Misha Glenny’s obituary in the Guardian.

Read an appreciation on Marxsite.

Read Peter’s last piece for New Left Review, Crisis in the Heartland: Consequences of the New Wall Street System.