Rex Murphy was born and raised near St. John's, Newfoundland, where he graduated from Memorial University. In 1968, he went to Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. Afterwards, returning to Newfoundland, he soon established himself as a quick-witted and accomplished writer, broadcaster and teacher. Rex Murphy's primary interest is in language and English literature, but he also has a strong link with politics. As well as host of CBC Radio's Cross Country Checkup, he contributes weekly TV essays on diverse topics to CBC TV's The National, and also writes book reviews, commentaries, and a weekly column for The Globe & Mail. He is much in demand as a speaker. His oratory—a volatile mix of insight, humour and biting political commentary, powered by an extraordinary vocabulary—brings audiences to their feet at events from coast to coast. Rex Murphy has won several national and provincial broadcasting awards and has been awarded honorary doctorates in letters by Memorial University, St. Thomas University, and Nipissing University.