▁November ▁ 1 9 3 8 ▁– ▁ 4 ▁August ▁ 2 0 0 2 ) ▁was ▁an ▁English ▁orth ograph er , ▁notable ▁for ▁design ing ▁the ▁system ▁of ▁cut ▁sp elling , ▁a ▁system ▁of ▁English - language ▁sp elling ▁reform ▁which ▁reduces ▁redundant ▁letters ▁and ▁makes ▁substitution s ▁to ▁improve ▁correspond ence ▁with ▁the ▁spoken ▁word , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁for ▁the ▁book ▁The ▁History ▁of ▁English ▁Sp elling , ▁which ▁was ▁un fin ished ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁his ▁death , ▁but ▁was ▁completed ▁by ▁George ▁David son ▁and ▁published ▁post hum ously ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 1 . ▁ ▁Biography ▁Up ward ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 8 ▁in ▁London , ▁to ▁the ▁novel ist ▁and ▁school master ▁Edward ▁Up ward ▁( 1 9 0 3 – 2 0 0 9 ) ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁H ilda ▁( née ▁Per c ival ; ▁ 1 9 0 9 – 1 9 9 5 ), ▁also ▁a ▁school te acher . ▁He ▁was ▁named ▁after ▁his ▁father ' s ▁friend ▁Christopher ▁I sh er wood . ▁He ▁graduated ▁from ▁his ▁father ' s ▁old ▁college , ▁Cor pus ▁Christ i ▁College , ▁Cambridge , ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 1 , ▁and ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁lecture ▁at ▁A ston ▁University ▁from ▁ 1 9 7 0 ▁until ▁his ▁ret irement ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 5 . ▁He ▁was ▁diagn osed ▁with ▁multiple ▁s cl eros is ▁early ▁in ▁life ▁and ▁died ▁in ▁B irmingham ▁from