Michael de Larrabeiti
Encyclopedia
Michael de Larrabeiti was an English
novelist and travel writer. He is best known for writing The Borrible Trilogy
, which has been cited as an influence by writers in the New Weird
movement.
and was mostly brought up in Battersea
, South London. His mother was of Irish descent and lived most of her life in the Lavender Hill
area of London; his father was a Basque
from Bilbao
and was often absent. In 1939 he was evacuated
to Arundel
in West Sussex
, before returning to London in 1940, only to be evacuated again to Askern
, a mining village near Doncaster
in Yorkshire
, in the winter. At the end of the Second World War he returned to London and, after failing the eleven plus
, was educated at Clapham Central Secondary School. The teachers he had here, often men who had returned from fighting in the war determined to make a better world, were a great influence on de Larrabeiti, something he would later fictionalise in Journal of a Sad Hermaphrodite
.
at a public library on Magdalen Road in Earlsfield
, south London. In 1952 he began attending Battersea Polytechnic
with a view towards taking A-Levels and attending university. This ambition took nine years to fulfill, mainly because of economic reasons. During these period de Larrabeiti worked at many things, initially as a cinema projectionist in a 3D cinema in Festival Gardens, Battersea Park
during the Festival of Britain
. His experiences in the Gardens are recorded in A Rose Beyond the Thames
. He later worked as a cameraman in documentary films and as a travel guide in France
and Morocco
.
In 1959 he fell in with a group of Provençal
shepherds and went with them on the transhumance
, herding three thousand sheep from their winter pasture to summer pasture in the French Alps. He then taught English in Casablanca
, and in 1961 was the photographer on Oxford University's Marco Polo Expedition, travelling four months overland on a motorcycle and sidecar with Stanley Johnson and Tim Severin
to Afghanistan
and India
. Between 1961 and 1965 he read French and English at Trinity College Dublin, from where he won a scholarship to the École Normale Supérieure
in Paris
, where he studied in 1965-66; he later began a DPhil at Keble College
, Oxford which he later abandoned to take up full-time writing.
travel section, for which he wrote acclaimed travel essays. His books have also been critically well-received, with recent work being long-listed for the Booker Prize. 2006 saw the publication of his most recent novel, Princess Diana's Revenge
; a collection of memoirs entitled Spots of Time was published in early 2007. His 1992 novel Journal of a Sad Hermaphrodite
is also set to be republished, after having been out of print for over ten years.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
novelist and travel writer. He is best known for writing The Borrible Trilogy
The Borrible Trilogy
The Borrible Trilogy is a series of young adult books written by English writer Michael de Larrabeiti. The three volumes in the trilogy are The Borribles, The Borribles Go For Broke, and The Borribles: Across the Dark Metropolis. Each book contains a separate story but together they form an...
, which has been cited as an influence by writers in the New Weird
New Weird
The New Weird is a literary genre that began in the 1990s and developed in a series of novels and stories published from 2001 to 2005. The writers involved are mostly novelists who are considered to be parts of the horror and/or speculative fiction genres but who often cross genre boundaries...
movement.
Early life
One of five children, de Larrabeiti was born in St Thomas' HospitalSt Thomas' Hospital
St Thomas' Hospital is a large NHS hospital in London, England. It is administratively a part of Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. It has provided health care freely or under charitable auspices since the 12th century and was originally located in Southwark.St Thomas' Hospital is accessible...
and was mostly brought up in Battersea
Battersea
Battersea is an area of the London Borough of Wandsworth, England. It is an inner-city district of South London, situated on the south side of the River Thames, 2.9 miles south-west of Charing Cross. Battersea spans from Fairfield in the west to Queenstown in the east...
, South London. His mother was of Irish descent and lived most of her life in the Lavender Hill
Lavender Hill
Lavender Hill is a hill near Clapham Junction in South London, England. The street name Lavender Hill is a continuation of St John's Hill and forms the section of the A3036 as it rises eastwards out of the Falconbrook valley at Clapham Junction, and retains that name for approximately 1.5 km...
area of London; his father was a Basque
Basque people
The Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...
from Bilbao
Bilbao
Bilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...
and was often absent. In 1939 he was evacuated
Evacuations of civilians in Britain during World War II
Evacuation of civilians in Britain during the Second World War was designed to save the population of urban or military areas in the United Kingdom from aerial bombing of cities and military targets such as docks. Civilians, particularly children, were moved to areas thought to be less at risk....
to Arundel
Arundel
Arundel is a market town and civil parish in the South Downs of West Sussex in the south of England. It lies south southwest of London, west of Brighton, and east of the county town of Chichester. Other nearby towns include Worthing east southeast, Littlehampton to the south and Bognor Regis to...
in West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
, before returning to London in 1940, only to be evacuated again to Askern
Askern
Askern is a town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster, in South Yorkshire, England. It is on the A19 road between Doncaster and Selby. It became a spa town in the late 19th century, but this stopped once coal mines opened in the town. The last mine closed in the 1990s...
, a mining village near Doncaster
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
in Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, in the winter. At the end of the Second World War he returned to London and, after failing the eleven plus
Eleven plus
In the United Kingdom, the 11-plus or Eleven plus is an examination administered to some students in their last year of primary education, governing admission to various types of secondary school. The name derives from the age group for secondary entry: 11–12 years...
, was educated at Clapham Central Secondary School. The teachers he had here, often men who had returned from fighting in the war determined to make a better world, were a great influence on de Larrabeiti, something he would later fictionalise in Journal of a Sad Hermaphrodite
Journal of a Sad Hermaphrodite
Journal of a Sad Hermaphrodite is a book written - and, some would say, compiled - by the English writer Michael de Larrabeiti and published in the United Kingdom by Aidan Ellis in 1992...
.
Youth
After leaving school at sixteen, de Larrabeiti initially worked as a librarianLibrarian
A librarian is an information professional trained in library and information science, which is the organization and management of information services or materials for those with information needs...
at a public library on Magdalen Road in Earlsfield
Earlsfield
Earlsfield is an area within the London Borough of Wandsworth, London, England.Earlsfield is a typical London suburb and comprises mostly residential Victorian terraced houses with a high street of shops, bars, and restaurants between Garratt Lane, Allfarthing Lane, and Burntwood Lane...
, south London. In 1952 he began attending Battersea Polytechnic
University of Surrey
The University of Surrey is a university located within the county town of Guildford, Surrey in the South East of England. It received its charter on 9 September 1966, and was previously situated near Battersea Park in south-west London. The institution was known as Battersea College of Technology...
with a view towards taking A-Levels and attending university. This ambition took nine years to fulfill, mainly because of economic reasons. During these period de Larrabeiti worked at many things, initially as a cinema projectionist in a 3D cinema in Festival Gardens, Battersea Park
Battersea Park
Battersea Park is a 200 acre green space at Battersea in the London Borough of Wandsworth in England. It is situated on the south bank of the River Thames opposite Chelsea, and was opened in 1858....
during the Festival of Britain
Festival of Britain
The Festival of Britain was a national exhibition in Britain in the summer of 1951. It was organised by the government to give Britons a feeling of recovery in the aftermath of war and to promote good quality design in the rebuilding of British towns and cities. The Festival's centrepiece was in...
. His experiences in the Gardens are recorded in A Rose Beyond the Thames
A Rose Beyond the Thames
A Rose Beyond the Thames is a partly fictional collection of memoirs written by the English author Michael de Larrabeiti and published in the United Kingdom in 1978 by The Bodley Head....
. He later worked as a cameraman in documentary films and as a travel guide in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
.
In 1959 he fell in with a group of Provençal
Provence
Provence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
shepherds and went with them on the transhumance
Transhumance
Transhumance is the seasonal movement of people with their livestock between fixed summer and winter pastures. In montane regions it implies movement between higher pastures in summer and to lower valleys in winter. Herders have a permanent home, typically in valleys. Only the herds travel, with...
, herding three thousand sheep from their winter pasture to summer pasture in the French Alps. He then taught English in Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
, and in 1961 was the photographer on Oxford University's Marco Polo Expedition, travelling four months overland on a motorcycle and sidecar with Stanley Johnson and Tim Severin
Tim Severin
Tim Severin is a British explorer, historian and writer. Severin is noted for his work in retracing the legendary journeys of historical figures. Severin was awarded both the Gold Medal of the Royal Geographical Society and the Livingstone Medal of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society...
to Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Between 1961 and 1965 he read French and English at Trinity College Dublin, from where he won a scholarship to the École Normale Supérieure
École Normale Supérieure
The École normale supérieure is one of the most prestigious French grandes écoles...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, where he studied in 1965-66; he later began a DPhil at Keble College
Keble College, Oxford
Keble College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its main buildings are on Parks Road, opposite the University Museum and the University Parks. The college is bordered to the north by Keble Road, to the south by Museum Road, and to the west by Blackhall...
, Oxford which he later abandoned to take up full-time writing.
Writing career
De Larrabeiti continued to work in the travel and film businesses and, later, as a freelance contributor to the Sunday TimesThe Sunday Times (UK)
The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper, distributed in the United Kingdom. The Sunday Times is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International, which is in turn owned by News Corporation. Times Newspapers also owns The Times, but the two papers were founded...
travel section, for which he wrote acclaimed travel essays. His books have also been critically well-received, with recent work being long-listed for the Booker Prize. 2006 saw the publication of his most recent novel, Princess Diana's Revenge
Princess Diana's Revenge
Princess Diana's Revenge is a novel written by the English writer Michael de Larrabeiti and published in 2006 by Tallis House. In the context of de Larrabeiti's other works, it is perhaps closest in tone to his thrillers The Bunce and The Hollywood Takes, dealing with conspiracy theories and partly...
; a collection of memoirs entitled Spots of Time was published in early 2007. His 1992 novel Journal of a Sad Hermaphrodite
Journal of a Sad Hermaphrodite
Journal of a Sad Hermaphrodite is a book written - and, some would say, compiled - by the English writer Michael de Larrabeiti and published in the United Kingdom by Aidan Ellis in 1992...
is also set to be republished, after having been out of print for over ten years.
The Borrible Trilogy
- The Borribles (1976); reissued in the USA in 2005, ISBN 0-7653-5005-X
- The Borribles Go for Broke (1981); reissued in the USA in 2005, ISBN 0-7653-5006-8
- The Borribles: Across the Dark Metropolis (1986); reissued in the USA in 2005, ISBN 0-7653-5007-6
- Reissued in the UK in one volume as The Borrible TrilogyThe Borrible TrilogyThe Borrible Trilogy is a series of young adult books written by English writer Michael de Larrabeiti. The three volumes in the trilogy are The Borribles, The Borribles Go For Broke, and The Borribles: Across the Dark Metropolis. Each book contains a separate story but together they form an...
(2002) ISBN 0-330-49085-0
Other works
- The Redwater RaidThe Redwater RaidThe Redwater Raid is a novel written by the English author Michael de Larrabeiti and published in 1972 in the United Kingdom by Coronet Books under the penname of "Nathan Lestrange"....
(1972) - A Rose Beyond the ThamesA Rose Beyond the ThamesA Rose Beyond the Thames is a partly fictional collection of memoirs written by the English author Michael de Larrabeiti and published in the United Kingdom in 1978 by The Bodley Head....
(1978) - The BunceThe BunceThe Bunce is a novel written by Michael de Larrabeiti and published in the United Kingdom in 1980 by Michael Joseph....
(1980) - Jeeno, Heloise and Igamor, the Long, Long Horse (1983)
- The Hollywood TakesThe Hollywood TakesThe Hollywood Takes is a novel written by the English author Michael de Larrabeiti and published in the United States by Doubleday in 1988....
(1983) - The Provençal TalesThe Provençal TalesThe Provençal Tales is a book written by Michael de Larrabeiti and published in 1988 by Pavilion Books. De Larrabeiti worked on the transhumance in the 1950s and 60s; his book records stories apparantley told to de Larrabeiti by Provençal shepherds....
(London: Pavilion Books, 1988; New York: St Martin's Press, 1989) - Journal of a Sad HermaphroditeJournal of a Sad HermaphroditeJournal of a Sad Hermaphrodite is a book written - and, some would say, compiled - by the English writer Michael de Larrabeiti and published in the United Kingdom by Aidan Ellis in 1992...
(1992) - Foxes' OvenFoxes' OvenFoxes' Oven is a novel by the English writer Michael de Larrabeiti. It was published by Robert Hale in 2003.-External links:*...
(2002) - French LeaveFrench Leave (de Larrabeiti)French Leave is a collection of memoirs written by the English author Michael de Larrabeiti. It was published in 2003 in the United Kingdom by Robert Hale....
(2002) - Princess Diana's RevengePrincess Diana's RevengePrincess Diana's Revenge is a novel written by the English writer Michael de Larrabeiti and published in 2006 by Tallis House. In the context of de Larrabeiti's other works, it is perhaps closest in tone to his thrillers The Bunce and The Hollywood Takes, dealing with conspiracy theories and partly...
(2006) - Spots of Time: A Memoir (2007)