Beresford Egan was born in London and raised from the age of five in South Africa. He returned to London in July 1926 after spending two years as a precocious sports cartoonist on the Rand Daily Mail. He quickly established himself in the artistic and literary atmosphere of London. He not only illustrated the works of others writers, but also his own novels. He wrote three plays, composed songs and undertook theatre criticism and caricatures. He acted in British movies including "Latin Quarter" and appeared in the dying days of British music hall as The Great Daleno!