Derek Hockridge

Derek Hockridge was a British translator best known for bringing the beloved Asterix comic books to English-speaking readers. Born in Wales in 1934 and raised in Birmingham, he earned a degree in French from the University of Wales, Cardiff, before completing teacher training at St Edmund Hall, Oxford. He taught French at Manchester Grammar School and later lectured at Leicester Polytechnic. It was during this time that he partnered with Anthea Bell to translate the Asterix series, written by René Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo. Their witty, pun-filled translations became as celebrated as the original French, capturing the humor and spirit of the Gaulish hero's adventures. Hockridge also appeared as an actor, notably playing the clerk of the court on the television series *Crown Court*, with minor roles in *Brideshead Revisited* and *The Jewel in the Crown*. He retired to Swanage, Dorset, and died on 8 August 2013. His work on Asterix—credited on dozens of issues and omnibus collections—remains a cornerstone of translated comics, introducing generations of readers to Asterix, Obelix, and their world.