George Walter Stonier or G. W. Stonier (1903 – 1985) was an English critic, novelist and radio playwright, and a literary editor of the ''
New Statesman
''The New Statesman'' (known from 1931 to 1964 as the ''New Statesman and Nation'') is a British political and cultural news magazine published in London. Founded as a weekly review of politics and literature on 12 April 1913, it was at first c ...
''.
Career
He wrote a weekly column for the ''New Statesman'' for twenty years until 1961 under the pseudonym William Whitebait. He was an adapter of
Gustave Flaubert
Gustave Flaubert ( , ; ; 12 December 1821 – 8 May 1880) was a French novelist. He has been considered the leading exponent of literary realism in his country and abroad. According to the literary theorist Kornelije Kvas, "in Flaubert, realis ...
's ''
Bouvard et Pécuchet'', and his radio plays included ''Ophelia'', ''The Shadow Across the Page'', ''The House Opposite'' and ''Chap in a Bowler Hat''. He was a contributor to ''
The Observer
''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.
In 1993 it was acquired by Guardian Media Group Limited, and operated as a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' ...
'', ''
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...
'', literary journals and ''
Sight & Sound
''Sight and Sound'' (formerly written ''Sight & Sound'') is a monthly film magazine published by the British Film Institute (BFI). Since 1952, it has conducted the well-known decennial ''Sight and Sound'' Poll of the Greatest Films of All Time. ...
''. He was also author of the well-regarded novella ''Memoirs of a Ghost'' and of six other books: ''Shaving Through the Blitz'', ''Shadow Across the Page'', ''Gog Magog'', ''My Dear Bunny'', ''Across London with the Unicorn'', and ''Pictures on the Pavement'' illustrated by
Edward Ardizzone. He was the first to translate
Jules Renard's classic tale of an unloved child, ''Poil de Carotte'' into English. It was published (as ''Carrots'') in 1946 by the
Grey Walls Press in an edition illustrated by
Fred Uhlman.
Selected list of works
* ''Pictures on the Pavement'' (London: Michael Joseph, 1955). Illustrated by
Edward Ardizzone
* ''Gog, Magog and other critical essays'' (London: J. M. Dent and Sons, Ltd., 1933)
* ''The Memoirs of a Ghost'' (Grey Walls Press, 1947)
* ''The English Countryside in Colour'' (London: B. T. Batsford, Ltd., 1957)
* ''My Dear Bunny (''Homeand van Thal, 1946)
* ''The Shadow Across the Page'' (London: Cresset Press,
.d.
* ''Shaving through the Blitz'' (London: Jonathan Cape, 1943)
* ''Enchanted Park''
Contributions to other works
*
Gissing, George, ''New Grub Street'' (Oxford University Press, World's Classics, 1958). Introduction by G. W. Stonier
* Stonier, G. W. (ed.); with illustrations by Nicolas Bentley, ''New Statesman Competitions'' (London: Faber and Faber, 1946)
* Renard, Jules; translated into English by G. W. Stonier, and with drawings by Fred Uhlman, ''Carrots
oil de carotte' (London: Grey Walls Press, 1946
*
Flaubert, Gustave; translated into English by T. W. Earp and G. W. Stonier, ''Bouvard and Pécuchet'' (London: Jonathan Cape, 1936)
References
External links
Review of ''Memoirs of a Ghost''* – all under "Stonier, George Walter"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stonier, G. W.
1903 births
1985 deaths
People educated at Westminster School, London
20th-century English novelists