Nigel Dennis
Encyclopedia
Nigel Forbes Dennis was an English
writer, critic, playwright and magazine editor.
, England
, Dennis was the son of Lt.-Col. Michael Frederic Beauchamp Dennis of the King's Own Scottish Borderers, who came of an old Devonshire family, and Louise, née Bosanquet, whose ancestors were bankers of Huguenot origin. The family moved to Southern Rhodesia
(now Zimbabwe
) and after his father's death in action in 1918, his mother married Fitzroy Griffin. Dennis attended school in Rhodesia. At fifteen, he joined his uncle, Ernan Forbes Dennis, a British diplomat working in Vienna as Passport Control Officer (a cover for his real role as MI6 Head of Station with responsibility for Austria, Hungary and Yugoslavia), and his wife, Phyllis Bottome
, the novelist. He would travel to Germany for further education before returning to the UK, where he stayed for four years before settling in the U.S.
in 1934.
, a progressive political journal; and Time. His job at Time returned him to Britain in 1950 (or 1949). Easing into novel writing, in 1949 he published his first acknowledged novel, Boys and Girls Come out to Play (A Sea Change in the USA), which won the Anglo-American novel award for that year (shared with Anthony West). It starts semi-autobiographically, with a depiction of a young man having an epileptic fit, a condition Dennis suffered from all his life. Later in 1955, Dennis published his most notable work, Cards of Identity
, a witty psychological satire
that gained cult acclaim. The novel was converted into a play the next year. Dennis's career would involve a mixture of non-fiction, novel, criticism, and play writing. Starting in 1961, his book reviews would appear in the Sunday Telegraph for two decades. He began as a contributor for Encounter, a cultural-literary magazine, in 1963, and would eventually become a co-editor before terminating his relationship in 1970.
Dennis's books were few but distinguished; his other works include Two Plays and a Preface (1958), Dramatic Essays (1962), the novel A House in Order (1966), a short study of Jonathan Swift
, which won the Royal Society of Literature
award under the W. H. Heinemann bequest in 1966, Exotics: Poems of the Mediterranean and Middle East (1970), and An Essay on Malta (1972).
Three of his plays were put on at the Royal Court theatre: Cards of Identity (1956), The Making of Moo (1957) and August for the People (1962). The first London revival of The Making of Moo was staged at the Orange Tree Theatre
in November 2009 http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/stage/theatre/article6920738.ece.
According to a letter published in The Guardian in May 2008: "In the 1930s, Dennis wrote Chalk and Cheese under the pseudonym Richard Vaughan. Legend has it that, before publication, every copy was destroyed in an air raid on a warehouse."
Dennis spent his last years in Malta. He died in Gloucestershire, July 1989.
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...
writer, critic, playwright and magazine editor.
Early life
Born at his grandfather's house in SurreySurrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, England
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...
, Dennis was the son of Lt.-Col. Michael Frederic Beauchamp Dennis of the King's Own Scottish Borderers, who came of an old Devonshire family, and Louise, née Bosanquet, whose ancestors were bankers of Huguenot origin. The family moved to Southern Rhodesia
Southern Rhodesia
Southern Rhodesia was the name of the British colony situated north of the Limpopo River and the Union of South Africa. From its independence in 1965 until its extinction in 1980, it was known as Rhodesia...
(now Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
) and after his father's death in action in 1918, his mother married Fitzroy Griffin. Dennis attended school in Rhodesia. At fifteen, he joined his uncle, Ernan Forbes Dennis, a British diplomat working in Vienna as Passport Control Officer (a cover for his real role as MI6 Head of Station with responsibility for Austria, Hungary and Yugoslavia), and his wife, Phyllis Bottome
Phyllis Bottome
Phyllis Forbes Dennis was a British novelist and short story writer who wrote under her birth name, Phyllis Bottome . She was born in Rochester, Kent to an American clergyman, Rev...
, the novelist. He would travel to Germany for further education before returning to the UK, where he stayed for four years before settling in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1934.
Career
Dennis held jobs at the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures, a censorship body; The New RepublicThe New Republic
The magazine has also published two articles concerning income inequality, largely criticizing conservative economists for their attempts to deny the existence or negative effect increasing income inequality is having on the United States...
, a progressive political journal; and Time. His job at Time returned him to Britain in 1950 (or 1949). Easing into novel writing, in 1949 he published his first acknowledged novel, Boys and Girls Come out to Play (A Sea Change in the USA), which won the Anglo-American novel award for that year (shared with Anthony West). It starts semi-autobiographically, with a depiction of a young man having an epileptic fit, a condition Dennis suffered from all his life. Later in 1955, Dennis published his most notable work, Cards of Identity
Cards of Identity
Cards Of Identity is a 1955 novel by Nigel Dennis. A scathing satire of psychology, identity theory and class prejudice, the novel is centred around the 'Identity Club', a group of men calling themselves psychologists, who meet annually to present 'case histories' promoting their chosen theory of...
, a witty psychological satire
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
that gained cult acclaim. The novel was converted into a play the next year. Dennis's career would involve a mixture of non-fiction, novel, criticism, and play writing. Starting in 1961, his book reviews would appear in the Sunday Telegraph for two decades. He began as a contributor for Encounter, a cultural-literary magazine, in 1963, and would eventually become a co-editor before terminating his relationship in 1970.
Dennis's books were few but distinguished; his other works include Two Plays and a Preface (1958), Dramatic Essays (1962), the novel A House in Order (1966), a short study of Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift was an Irish satirist, essayist, political pamphleteer , poet and cleric who became Dean of St...
, which won the Royal Society of Literature
Royal Society of Literature
The Royal Society of Literature is the "senior literary organisation in Britain". It was founded in 1820 by George IV, in order to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". The Society's first president was Thomas Burgess, who later became the Bishop of Salisbury...
award under the W. H. Heinemann bequest in 1966, Exotics: Poems of the Mediterranean and Middle East (1970), and An Essay on Malta (1972).
Three of his plays were put on at the Royal Court theatre: Cards of Identity (1956), The Making of Moo (1957) and August for the People (1962). The first London revival of The Making of Moo was staged at the Orange Tree Theatre
Orange Tree Theatre
The Orange Tree Theatre is a 172-seat theatre at 1 Clarence Street, Richmond in south west London, built specifically as a theatre in the round....
in November 2009 http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/stage/theatre/article6920738.ece.
According to a letter published in The Guardian in May 2008: "In the 1930s, Dennis wrote Chalk and Cheese under the pseudonym Richard Vaughan. Legend has it that, before publication, every copy was destroyed in an air raid on a warehouse."
Private life
Dennis was married twice: (1) Marie-Madeleine Massias, from Charente- Maritime, France. Two daughters, Frederica Freer and Michie Herbert, sculptor. (2) Beatrice Ann Hewart Matthew, actress.Dennis spent his last years in Malta. He died in Gloucestershire, July 1989.
External links
- The New York Review of Books Nigel Dennis collection - View the first 100 words of his pieces