Roy Lewis
Encyclopedia
Roy Lewis was an English writer and small press
printer.
, Lewis was brought up in Birmingham
and educated at King Edward's School
. After studying at University College, Oxford
, earning his BA in 1934, he went on to study at the London School of Economics
. He began his career as an economist, but after serving as an editor on the journal, Statist, he became interested in journalism. He took a sabbatical in 1938 to travel to Australia and India
. He married Christine Tew in 1939, after returning to England. They had two daughters.
From 1943 to 1946, he worked for the Peking Syndicate, a firm specialising in investments in China, but left to work as a journalist for the weekly, Scope. Hired by the Economist magazine, he served as its Washington, DC correspondent from 1952 to 1961. He settled full time in England in 1961, where he became a feature writer for The Times
, remaining with the newspaper until he retired in 1971. In 1957 he had set up the Keepsake Press
, initially to hand print family ephemera. He soon began serious, though small-scale, production and by the time infirmity forced him to discontinue in 1990 he had brought out over a hundred titles.
The majority of the books that Lewis wrote or edited, often jointly, were nonfiction and closely related to his journalism. However, he is best known for his 1960 novel The Evolution Man, which went through six editions under a number of titles. This comic novel purports to be a first-hand account by the son of the first man to discover fire. To prevent further 'advances', the family takes matters in hand, leading to a conclusion given away by the book's eventual subtitle, 'how I ate my father'. Continuing authorship into old age, Lewis published a second novel in 1990, the same year that a play of his on William Shakespeare
was performed in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, followed by a novella in 1991 and a further novel in 1995. All three of these later fictions were provocative reinterpretations of Victorian times.
Small press
Small press is a term often used to describe publishers with annual sales below a certain level. Commonly, in the United States, this is set at $50 million, after returns and discounts...
printer.
Life and work
Although born in FelixstoweFelixstowe
Felixstowe is a seaside town on the North Sea coast of Suffolk, England. The town gives its name to the nearby Port of Felixstowe, which is the largest container port in the United Kingdom and is owned by Hutchinson Ports UK...
, Lewis was brought up in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
and educated at King Edward's School
King Edward's School, Birmingham
King Edward's School is an independent secondary school in Birmingham, England, founded by King Edward VI in 1552. It is part of the Foundation of the Schools of King Edward VI in Birmingham, and is widely regarded as one of the most academically successful schools in the country, according to...
. After studying at University College, Oxford
University College, Oxford
.University College , is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2009 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £110m...
, earning his BA in 1934, he went on to study at the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
. He began his career as an economist, but after serving as an editor on the journal, Statist, he became interested in journalism. He took a sabbatical in 1938 to travel to Australia 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...
. He married Christine Tew in 1939, after returning to England. They had two daughters.
From 1943 to 1946, he worked for the Peking Syndicate, a firm specialising in investments in China, but left to work as a journalist for the weekly, Scope. Hired by the Economist magazine, he served as its Washington, DC correspondent from 1952 to 1961. He settled full time in England in 1961, where he became a feature writer for The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, remaining with the newspaper until he retired in 1971. In 1957 he had set up the Keepsake Press
Keepsake Press
The Keepsake Press was a private press founded by English writer Roy Lewis. The press published more than 100 books and chapbooks using letterpress techniques. It ceased to operate in 1996 when Lewis died. Its archive is now housed at Reading University...
, initially to hand print family ephemera. He soon began serious, though small-scale, production and by the time infirmity forced him to discontinue in 1990 he had brought out over a hundred titles.
The majority of the books that Lewis wrote or edited, often jointly, were nonfiction and closely related to his journalism. However, he is best known for his 1960 novel The Evolution Man, which went through six editions under a number of titles. This comic novel purports to be a first-hand account by the son of the first man to discover fire. To prevent further 'advances', the family takes matters in hand, leading to a conclusion given away by the book's eventual subtitle, 'how I ate my father'. Continuing authorship into old age, Lewis published a second novel in 1990, the same year that a play of his on William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
was performed in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, followed by a novella in 1991 and a further novel in 1995. All three of these later fictions were provocative reinterpretations of Victorian times.