Moray David Shaw McLaren (1901–1971)[1] was a Scottish writer and broadcasting executive.
He went to Merchiston Castle School and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, and spent time in Paris. He worked as assistant editor on the London Mercury, before joining the staff of the British Broadcasting Corporation, where he was assistant editor of The Listener in 1929.[2]
McLaren moved back to Scotland in 1930 as a BBC Scottish Region radio executive, acting as deputy to David Cleghorn Thomson, his work Return to Scotland of that year laying emphasis on his Roman Catholic background.[3] He announced his interest in Scottish nationalism in 1931 by supporting George Malcolm Thomson's pamphlet The Kingdom of Scotland Restored.[4]
During the 1930s, McLaren was transferred to other posts within the BBC. He worked on the Radio Times under Eric Maschwitz.[5] He was in the Talks department. He originated a series on Scottish forensic oratory, from which John Gough's trial drama on Madeleine Smith originated. He was moved in 1935 to become assistant director of Drama and Features under Val Gielgud.[6][7]
During World War II, he was involved in the Polish section of the Political Warfare Executive.[8] A friend of R. H. Bruce Lockhart who ran the Executive, he was head of its Polish Region, from 1940 to 1945.[9] In a period of poor health, McLaren lost his income. He was supported at this time by Evelyn Waugh.[10]
One of the founders of the Edinburgh Gateway Company, Lennox Milne (1909–1980), was McLaren's wife. The Company worked with him to produce radio scripts.[2][11][12][13]
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