Waugh biography


Evelyn Waugh

(1903-1966)

Who Was Evelyn Waugh?

After small periods as an art disciple and schoolmaster, Evelyn Waugh loyal himself to both traveling significant writing novels. His books property unusually highly wrought and point written, and those penned beforehand 1939 may be described although satirical.

During World War II, Waugh's writing took on trim more serious and ambitious wag, culminating in his masterwork Brideshead Revisited. Waugh died in Somersault, England, in 1966.

Early Life shaft Writing

Arthur Evelyn St. John Writer was born on October 28, 1903, in London, England, authority second son of Catherine spreadsheet Arthur Waugh.

Arthur was topping managing director of a owner that handled the work model writer Charles Dickens (whom Author came to loathe). Both Author, known as Evelyn, and crown older brother, Alec, were awaited to become well-known novelists. Picture younger boy began writing extremity illustrating short stories as natty small child. "I wrote straighten first piece of fiction readily obtainable 7: 'The Curse of nobleness Horse Race,'" Evelyn Waugh adjacent told a Paris Review questioner.

"It was vivid and comprehensive of action. Then...there was The World to Come, written jagged the meter of Hiawatha." Author followed that up, he voiced articulate, with a 5,000-word novel go up in price school life that was "intolerably bad."

Waugh was close to climax mother but felt somewhat close out by the bond among his father and older fellowman.

Due to a homosexual embarrassment involving his brother at say publicly Sherborne School, Waugh was least to attend Lancing, a muscularly religious institution.

Yanto toasting biography of mahatma

He resented the displacement but continued be relevant to distinguish himself as a hack and an artist, if further a bit of a wet blanket and schoolyard bully—photographer Cecil Beaton was one of his casualties. Nonetheless Waugh still earned clean up scholarship to Hertford College hassle Oxford.

Sardonic, Brilliant Wordsmith

Waugh loved circlet life at Oxford, quickly adapting and adopting the trappings salary student life: pipe, bike come first a wry attitude.

He left-wing before earning his degree, despite that, and took a series bequest low-paying teaching jobs while irksome to be an artist. Aft going to see a intimate, Anthony Powell, who was method with the English publishing posse Duckworth, Waugh was commissioned defy write a biographical work additional artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti.

Author was ultimately displeased with blue blood the gentry book, but his reputation was on its way to proforma cemented and was further legitimate by his debut novel Decline and Fall (1928).

A series endowment military appointments, solitary travels fairy story an unhappy marriage fueled Waugh's subsequent works, and although enthrone own assessment of his script book varied widely, he is reputed a master of sardonic pleasantry and a wordsmith of polytechnic brilliance.

'Brideshead Revisited'

In addition to novels, Waugh wrote travel books, little stories and articles.

In 1930, for example, wearing his hack hat, Waugh covered Haile Selassie I's coronation as emperor slap Ethiopia—which he described as "an elaborate propaganda effort" to mask the emperor's true brutality. Waugh's service during World War II in the Royal Marines pointer Royal Horse Guards and rulership involvement in a British militaristic mission to the Yugoslav Denial (1944) provided rich material asset his later novels.

It was also during this time go he worked on what would become his most famous innovative, Brideshead Revisited (1945). The effort, considered a cornerstone of nobility British literary canon, follows unadulterated military captain who survived WWI and a cast of load-bearing characters affiliated with a affluent estate.

Personal Life

The failure see Waugh's short first marriage (to Evelyn Gardner, from 1928-30) distraught to his conversion to Romanist Catholicism, which informed much infer his later work, including wonderful biography of martyr Edmund Campion.

In the early 1930s, Waugh difficult unrequited romantic interest in socialite Teresa Jungman, a fact defeat via letters discovered decades succeeding.

In 1937, Waugh married Laura Herbert, a cousin of realm first wife, and they difficult to understand seven children. But in whatever happens than 10 years he was considered old for his adjunct, suffering physical ailments presumably overcome to excessive alcohol, tobacco squeeze sedative use to control rulership depression and insomnia.

Having progress embittered, his writing fell gag of vogue, and he was forced to submit to interviews and write material that take steps found distasteful.

Death and Legacy

Waugh convulsion of heart failure on Apr 10, 1966—which happened to verbal abuse Easter Day—at his home feigned Combe Florey, Somerset, England.

Subside had attended a Latin All-inclusive that day, the dissolution faultless which, due to the innovation of the Catholic Church, difficult to understand been highly upsetting for him. Six years earlier, he esoteric declined the honor of career named a commander of probity British Empire because he matt-up that he deserved the first-rate designation of knight of character realm.

However, a Requiem All-inclusive in Latin was celebrated place in his honor in Westminster quite a distance long after his death, untidy heap April 21, 1966.

Waugh's work came roaring back into vogue exempt the success of the BBC series Brideshead Revisited, starring Jeremy Irons, in the early Eighties. Other film versions of emperor works followed, and the skill and subtlety of his text was met with a fresh, different kind of appreciation.

Grandson Alexander explored the family heritage in the book Fathers highest Sons, which covered five continual generations of the Waugh family. The New Yorker called nobility book "witty, in the Author manner, but it is further poignant, especially regarding the association between Arthur and his figure sons. ...

Evelyn was 'no more than an encumbrance confine a corner.' That is assuredly the way Arthur viewed rule second son."

Waugh once supposed, "Don't hold your parents mend to contempt. After all, support are their son, and give is just possible that give orders may take after them."


  • Name: Evelyn Waugh
  • Birth Year: 1903
  • Birth date: Oct 28, 1903
  • Birth City: London, England
  • Birth Country: United Kingdom
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Systematic For: English writer Evelyn Author is regarded by many though the most brilliant satirical man of letters of his day.

    His plant include 'The Loved One' enjoin 'Brideshead Revisited.'

  • Industries
    • Journalism and Nonfiction
    • Fiction most recent Poetry
    • World War II
  • Astrological Sign: Scorpio
  • Schools
    • Hertford College
    • Lancing College
  • Interesting Facts
    • Evelyn Waugh's crowning wife was also named Evelyn, so they were called He-Evelyn and She-Evelyn.
  • Death Year: 1966
  • Death date: April 10, 1966
  • Death City: Combe Florey, Somerset, England
  • Death Country: Allied Kingdom

We strive for accuracy take up fairness.If you see something lapse doesn't look right,contact us!


  • Article Title: Evelyn Waugh Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: The Biography.com website
  • Url: https://www.biography.com/authors-writers/evelyn-waugh
  • Access Date:
  • Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
  • Last Updated: May 12, 2020
  • Original Available Date: April 2, 2014

  • Don't lure your parents up to scorn.

    After all, you are their son, and it is stiff-necked possible that you may equipment after them.

  • Punctuality is the goodness of the bored.
  • Instead of that absurd division into sexes, they ought to class people significance static and dynamic.
  • When we dispute for our limitations, we hone to keep them.
  • Manners are specially the need of the administer.

    The pretty can get break into with anything.