John Francis Tuohy, (2 May 1925 – 11 April 1999) was an English writer and academic. Born in London, he attended Stowe School

Stowe School

Stowe School is an independent school in Stowe, Buckinghamshire. It was founded on 11 May 1923 by J. F. Roxburgh, initially with 99 male pupils. It is a member of the Rugby Group and Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. The school is also a member of the G20 Schools Group...

 and went on to read Moral Sciences and English at King's College, Cambridge

King's College, Cambridge

King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college's full name is "The King's College of our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge", but it is usually referred to simply as "King's" within the University....

. On completion of his studies, he worked in numerous academic posts under the auspices of the British Council

British Council

The British Council is a United Kingdom-based organisation specialising in international educational and cultural opportunities. It is registered as a charity both in England and Wales, and in Scotland...

. This included postings in Finland, Brazil and Poland. The last of these provided his inspiration for his 1965 novel The Ice Saints. The book received considerable critical acclaim and was awarded the James Tait Black Memorial Prize

James Tait Black Memorial Prize

Founded in 1919, the James Tait Black Memorial Prizes are among the oldest and most prestigious book prizes awarded for literature written in the English language and are Britain's oldest literary awards...

. Tuohy died in Shepton Mallet

Shepton Mallet

Shepton Mallet is a small rural town and civil parish in the Mendip district of Somerset in South West England. Situated approximately south of Bristol and east of Wells, the town is estimated to have a population of 9,700. It contains the administrative headquarters of Mendip District Council...

, Somerset

Somerset

The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...

 in 1999 at a time when he was working on the uncompleted manuscript for a new novel following many years of writer's block

Writer's block

Writer's block is a condition, primarily associated with writing as a profession, in which an author loses the ability to produce new work. The condition varies widely in intensity. It can be trivial, a temporary difficulty in dealing with the task at hand. At the other extreme, some "blocked"...

.

Awards and distinctions

• Katherine Mansfield-Menton Prize (1959)
• James Tait Black Memorial Prize
  James Tait Black Memorial Prize
  Founded in 1919, the James Tait Black Memorial Prizes are among the oldest and most prestigious book prizes awarded for literature written in the English language and are Britain's oldest literary awards...
  
   (1964)
• Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize
  Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize
  The Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize is a British literary prize established in 1963 in tribute to Geoffrey Faber, founder and first Chairman publisher Faber & Faber...
  
   (1965)
• Fellow, Royal Society of Literature (1965)
• E. M. Forster Award
  E. M. Forster Award
  The E. M. Forster Award is a $20,000 award given annually to an Irish or British writer to fund a period of travel in the United States. The award, named after the English novelist E. M. Forster, is administered by the American Academy of Arts and Letters...
  
  (1972)
• Heinemann award (1979)

Works

• The Admiral and the Nuns with Other Stories. London, Macmillan, 1962; New York, Scribner, 1963.
• The Animal Game. London, Macmillan, and New York, Scribner, 1957.
• The Warm Nights of January. London, Macmillan, 1960.
• The Ice Saints. London, Macmillan, and New York, Scribner, 1964.
• Fingers in the Door. London, Macmillan, and New York, Scribner, 1970.
• Live Bait and Other Stories. London, Macmillan, 1978; New York, Holt Rinehart, 1979.
• The Collected Stories. London, Macmillan, and New York, HoltRinehart, 1984.

External links

• Obituary in The Independent