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Hugh Kingsmill Lunn (21 November 1889 – 15 May 1949), who dropped his surname for professional purposes, was a versatile British writer and journalist. The writers
Arnold Lunn Sir Arnold Henry Moore Lunn (18 April 1888 – 2 June 1974) was a skier, mountaineer and writer. He was knighted for "services to British Skiing and Anglo-Swiss relations" in 1952. His father was a lay Methodist minister, but Lunn was an a ...
and
Brian Lunn Brian Lunn (1893–1956) was a British writer and translator. He was born in Bloomsbury, London, youngest of three sons (there being also a daughter) of Methodist parents Sir Henry Lunn (1859-1939) and Mary Ethel, née Moore, daughter of a ca ...
were his brothers.


Life

Hugh Kingsmill Lunn was born at
Torrington Square __NOTOC__ Torrington Square is a square in Bloomsbury, owned by the University of London, located in central London, England. Today, the square is largely non-residential since most of the houses have been demolished by the university. The sout ...
,
Bloomsbury Bloomsbury is a district in the West End of London, part of the London Borough of Camden in England. It is considered a fashionable residential area, and is the location of numerous cultural institution, cultural, intellectual, and educational ...
,
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, second son and second child of the three sons and one daughter of Sir
Henry Simpson Lunn Sir Henry Simpson Lunn (30 July 1859 – 18 March 1939) was an English humanitarian and religious figure, and also founder of Lunn Poly, one of the UK's largest travel companies. Early life Henry Lunn was born in Horncastle, Lincolnshire, t ...
, founder of the travel agency
Lunn Poly Lunn Poly was a large chain of travel agents in the United Kingdom. TUI Travel acquired Lunn Poly in 2003, and by the end of 2004 had retired the brand absorbing it within the wider Thomson Travel group. History The company originated from two ...
, and Mary Ethel, née Moore, daughter of a canon.Holroyd, Michael. 'Lunn, Hugh Kingsmill' in ''The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (2004) He was educated at
Harrow School Harrow School () is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English boarding school for boys) in Harrow on the Hill, Greater London, England. The school was founded in 1572 by John Lyon (school founder), John Lyon, a local landowner an ...
and the
University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...
. After graduating he worked for a brief period for
Frank Harris Frank Harris (14 February 1856 – 26 August 1931) was an Irish-American editor, novelist, short story writer, journalist and publisher, who was friendly with many well-known figures of his day. Born in Ireland, he emigrated to the United State ...
, who edited the publication ''Hearth and Home'' in 1911/2, alongside
Enid Bagnold Enid Algerine Bagnold, Lady Jones, (27 October 1889 – 31 March 1981) was a British writer and playwright best known for the 1935 story '' National Velvet''. Early life Enid Algerine Bagnold was born on 27 October 1889 in Rochester, Kent, ...
; Kingsmill later wrote a debunking biography of Harris. He began fighting in the
British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
in
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
in 1916, and was captured in France the next year. He was held as a
prisoner of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...
at Mainz Citadel with, among others,
J. Milton Hayes James Milton Hayes Military Cross, MC (1884, in Ardwick – 1940, in Nice), known as J. Milton Hayes, was an England, English actor and poet, best known for his 1911 dramatic monologue "The Green Eye of the Yellow God", much parodied by his cont ...
and
Alec Waugh Alexander Raban Waugh (8 July 1898 – 3 September 1981) was a British novelist, the elder brother of the better-known Evelyn Waugh, uncle of Auberon Waugh and son of Arthur Waugh, author, literary critic and publisher. His first wife was Ba ...
. After the war he began to write, initially both
science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
and
crime fiction Crime fiction, detective story, murder mystery, crime novel, mystery novel, and police novel are terms used to describe narratives or fiction that centre on criminal acts and especially on the investigation, either by an amateur or a professiona ...
. In the 1930s he was a contributor to the ''English Review''; later he wrote a good deal of non-fiction for that periodical's successor, the ''English Review Magazine''. His large output includes criticism, essays and biographies, parodies and humour, as well as novels, and he edited a number of
anthologies In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs, or related fiction/non-fiction excerpts by different authors. There are also thematic and ge ...
. He is remembered for saying 'friends are God's apology for relations', with a notable flavour of
Ambrose Bierce Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce (June 24, 1842 – ) was an American short story writer, journalist, poet, and American Civil War veteran. His book '' The Devil's Dictionary'' was named one of "The 100 Greatest Masterpieces of American Literature" by the ...
. The dictum was subsequently used by
Richard Ingrams Richard Reid Ingrams (born 19 August 1937) is an English journalist, a co-founder and second editor of the British satirical magazine ''Private Eye'', and founding editor of ''The Oldie'' magazine. He left the latter job at the end of May 2014.B ...
for the title of his memoir of Kingsmill's friendships with
Hesketh Pearson Edward Hesketh Gibbons Pearson (20 February 1887 – 9 April 1964) was an English actor, theatre director and writer. He is known mainly for his biographies; they made him the leading British biographer of his time, in terms of commercial succes ...
and
Malcolm Muggeridge Thomas Malcolm Muggeridge (24 March 1903 – 14 November 1990) was a conservative British journalist and satirist. His father, H. T. Muggeridge, was a socialist politician and one of the early Labour Party Members of Parliament (for Romford, i ...
, two intimate friends whom he influenced greatly. Kingmill was literary editor of '' Punch'' from 1942 to 1944 and of the ''
New English Review The ''New English Review'' is an online monthly magazine of cultural criticism, published from Nashville, Tennessee, since February 2006. Scholars note the magazine to have platformed a range of far-right Islamophobic discourse including conspir ...
'' from 1945 to 1949. He married Eileen FitzGerald in 1915 and there was one daughter. The marriage broke up in 1927. Kingsmill married a second time in 1934 to Dorothy Vernon, and there were two daughters and a son. (She also had one son of her own). He died of cancer in
Brighton Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...
in 1949.


Satire

Muggeridge drew a darker attitude from Kingsmill's sardonic wit. ''Dawnist'' was Kingsmill's word for those infected with unrealistic or utopian idealism – the enemy as far as he was concerned. Kingsmill's parody of
A. E. Housman Alfred Edward Housman (; 26 March 1859 – 30 April 1936) was an English classics, classical scholar and poet. He showed early promise as a student at the University of Oxford, but he failed his final examination in ''literae humaniores'' and t ...
's poetry has been recognised as definitive:
What still alive at twenty-two,
A clean, upstanding chap like you?
Sure, if your throat 'tis hard to slit,
Slit your girl's, and swing for it.

Like enough, you won't be glad,
When they come to hang you, lad:
But bacon's not the only thing
That's cured by hanging from a string.

So, when the spilt ink of the night
Spreads o'er the blotting-pad of light,
Lads whose job is still to do
Shall whet their knives, and think of you.
Housman himself said of this parody: "It's the best I have seen, and indeed, the only good one."


Anthologist

Despite his wide range as a novelist, biographer, essayist, and literary critic, Kingsmill is best known today as an anthologist. He compiled at least eight of his humorous and original anthologies (depending on how they are classified) between 1929 and 1955. The first, ''An Anthology of Invective and Abuse'', was by far the most successful and remains the best known.
Oswald Mosley Sir Oswald Ernald Mosley, 6th Baronet (16 November 1896 – 3 December 1980), was a British aristocrat and politician who rose to fame during the 1920s and 1930s when he, having become disillusioned with mainstream politics, turned to fascism. ...
was so enthusiastic about it that he forwarded a copy to Adolf Hitler. According to Hesketh Pearson in his preface to ''High Hill of the Muses'' (the last of the anthologies) "Kingsmill himself became a little restless when people praised his volume of vituperation."
Michael Holroyd Sir Michael de Courcy Fraser Holroyd (born 27 August 1935) is an English biographer. Early life and education Holroyd was born in London, the son of Basil de Courcy Fraser Holroyd (a descendant of Sir George Sowley Holroyd, Justice of the King ...
judges ''The Worst of Love'' (1931), a collection of insincere writing, to be the funniest. It resembles the better known anthology ''The Stuffed Owl'', compiled by D. B. Wyndham Lewis and Charles Lee, which was published the year before. Owing to his wide reading and good memory, Kingsmill could put together an anthology inside a month, which helped him meet pressing financial commitments. Two other works, ''The English Genius'' (1938) and ''Johnson Without Boswell'' (1940), take on aspects of the anthology form but include more original content.


Annotated list of works

*''The Will To Love'' (1919). Novel written under the name "Hugh Lunn". The character Ralph Parker is based on
Frank Harris Frank Harris (14 February 1856 – 26 August 1931) was an Irish-American editor, novelist, short story writer, journalist and publisher, who was friendly with many well-known figures of his day. Born in Ireland, he emigrated to the United State ...
and Barbara on
Enid Bagnold Enid Algerine Bagnold, Lady Jones, (27 October 1889 – 31 March 1981) was a British writer and playwright best known for the 1935 story '' National Velvet''. Early life Enid Algerine Bagnold was born on 27 October 1889 in Rochester, Kent, ...
. *''The Dawn's Delay'' (1924). Includes three short novels: 'W.J', 'The End of the World' and 'The Disintegration of a Politician'. Published at his own expense. *''Blondel'' (1927). Novel, begun in 1925. Set in the period of
Richard Coeur de Lion Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic language">Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and ...
but not a historical novel: it's based on a love affair Kingsmill had with an Irish cousin in his teens. *''Matthew Arnold'' (1928). Biography, written in an informal style (the subject referred to throughout as "Matt"). Contains "a disproportionate degree of censure". *''After Puritanism, 1850–1900'' (1929). Four long essays on Dean Farrar, Samuel Butler, Frank Harris and W. T. Stead, linked by the idea that Puritanism did not fade away circa 1820 but remained alive during the Victorian era. * ''An Anthology Of Invective And Abuse'' (1929). A collection of expressions of anger ranging from John Skelton to the war poet Geoffrey Howard (1889–1973). The most successful of his humorous and original anthologies. *''The Return of William Shakespeare'' (1929, revised 1948). Novel in which
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
is brought back to life for six weeks in the year 1943, and is able to read what his critics have written about him and react. Creative literary criticism. *''Behind Both Lines'' (1930). Autobiographical. Entertaining and light-hearted war memoirs. *''More Invective'' (1930). Anthology. A sequel to ''An Anthology of Invective and Abuse''. A combined volume was published in 1944. *''The Worst of Love'' (1931). Anthology collecting "numerous specimens of bad writing about love". *''Frank Harris'' (1932). Biography. Holroyd calls this "most skilfully written and put together", but it has also been accused of being "hostile" and "malicious". *''The Table of Truth'' (1933). Parodies originally published in '' The Bookman'' and '' The English Review.'' Includes P G Wodehouse and also the famous Housman parody (above). *''Samuel Johnson'' (1933). His best biography (Holroyd), although "his love of Johnson sometimes softened the edge of his normally acute criticisms". *''The Sentimental Journey'' (1934) Biography of
Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, journalist, short story writer and Social criticism, social critic. He created some of literature's best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by ...
. Irked by G K Chesterton's portrayal of Dickens as a philanthropic and selfless social worker, Kingsmill's portrait is one of extreme and unrelieved severity.
George Orwell Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950) was an English novelist, poet, essayist, journalist, and critic who wrote under the pen name of George Orwell. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to a ...
described it as "the most brilliant ever written on Dickens", but "so unremittingly 'against' that it might give a misleading impression". *''The Casanova Fable: A Satirical Revaluation'' (1934) with William Gerhardi. Kingsmill wrote the first biographical section, this time arguing against
Havelock Ellis Henry Havelock Ellis (2 February 1859 – 8 July 1939) was an English physician, eugenicist, writer, Progressivism, progressive intellectual and social reformer who studied human sexuality. He co-wrote the first medical textbook in English on h ...
's picture of Casanova as "a free spirit, a wit and bold thinker". *''What They Said at the Time'' (1935). Anthology. *''Parents and Children'' (1936). Anthology. *''Brave Old World'' (1936). Newspaper parodies, with
Malcolm Muggeridge Thomas Malcolm Muggeridge (24 March 1903 – 14 November 1990) was a conservative British journalist and satirist. His father, H. T. Muggeridge, was a socialist politician and one of the early Labour Party Members of Parliament (for Romford, i ...
*''A Pre-View of Next Year's News'' (1937). More newspaper parodies, with Malcolm Muggeridge *''Skye High: The Record of a Tour Through Scotland in the Wake of the Samuel Johnson And James Boswell''. (1937). The first of three conversational travelogues written in collaboration with
Hesketh Pearson Edward Hesketh Gibbons Pearson (20 February 1887 – 9 April 1964) was an English actor, theatre director and writer. He is known mainly for his biographies; they made him the leading British biographer of his time, in terms of commercial succes ...
*''Made on Earth'' (1937). Anthology on marriage. *''The English Genius: a survey of the English achievement and character'' (1938) As editor. New essays by W. R. Inge,
Hilaire Belloc Joseph Hilaire Pierre René Belloc ( ; ; 27 July 187016 July 1953) was a French-English writer, politician, and historian. Belloc was also an orator, poet, sailor, satirist, writer of letters, soldier, and political activist. His Catholic fait ...
,
Hesketh Pearson Edward Hesketh Gibbons Pearson (20 February 1887 – 9 April 1964) was an English actor, theatre director and writer. He is known mainly for his biographies; they made him the leading British biographer of his time, in terms of commercial succes ...
, William Gerhardi, E .S. P. Haynes,
Douglas Woodruff John Douglas Woodruff (1897–1978) was the editor of the ''Tablet'' and later chairman of the Catholic publishers Burns & Oates. Biography Douglas Woodruff was educated at Downside School and New College, Oxford. At Oxford, he was a member of ...
, Charles Petrie,
J. F. C. Fuller Major-General John Frederick Charles "Boney" Fuller (1 September 1878 – 10 February 1966) was a senior British Army officer, military historian, and strategist, known as an early theorist of modern armoured warfare, including categorisin ...
,
Alfred Noyes Alfred Noyes Commander of the Order of the British Empire, CBE (16 September 188025 June 1958) was an English poet, short-story writer and playwright. Early years Noyes was born in Wolverhampton, England the son of Alfred and Amelia Adams No ...
,
Rose Macaulay Dame Emilie Rose Macaulay, (1 August 1881 – 30 October 1958) was an English writer, most noted for her award-winning novel ''The Towers of Trebizond'', about a small Anglo-Catholic group crossing Turkey by camel. The story is seen as a spiri ...
,
Brian Lunn Brian Lunn (1893–1956) was a British writer and translator. He was born in Bloomsbury, London, youngest of three sons (there being also a daughter) of Methodist parents Sir Henry Lunn (1859-1939) and Mary Ethel, née Moore, daughter of a ca ...
,
Rebecca West Dame Cecily Isabel Fairfield (21 December 1892 – 15 March 1983), known as Rebecca West, or Dame Rebecca West, was a British author, journalist, literary critic and travel writer. An author who wrote in many genres, West reviewed books ...
, K. Hare, T. W. Earp. *''D. H. Lawrence'' (1938). Kingsmill was unsympathetic to Lawrence. The biography's inadequacy "lies in Kingsmill's reluctance to linger for any length of time upon the positive nature and quality of Lawrence's genius". *''Courage'' (1939). Anthology. *''Johnson Without Boswell: A Contemporary Portrait of Samuel Johnson'' (editor) (1940). Presents a picture of Johnson from several contemporary sources outside of Boswell. *''The Fall'' (1940). Generally regarded as Kingsnill's most satisfactory novel, an account of marital incompatibility with some autobiographical elements. *''This Blessed Plot'' (1942) travelogue with Hesketh Pearson. A record of travel and conversations in England and Ireland. *''The Poisoned Crown'' (1944) Essays on genealogies containing studies of Elizabeth, Cromwell, Napoleon and Lincoln, prefixed by a closely written chapter on The Genealogy of Hitler' ("one of the most brilliant haptersthat he ever wrote" – Holroyd). *''Talking of Dick Whittington'' (1947) travelogue, with Hesketh Pearson. One review suggested that they had invented the conversation travel book as a new art form.Holroyd, p. 163 *''The Progress of a Biographer'' (1949). Collection of literary criticism written since 1944. *''The High Hill of the Muses'' (1955). Last completed anthology, published posthumously. *''The Genius of Carlyle''. Biography (unfinished). *''The Best of Hugh Kingsmill: Selections from his Writings'' (1970) edited by
Michael Holroyd Sir Michael de Courcy Fraser Holroyd (born 27 August 1935) is an English biographer. Early life and education Holroyd was born in London, the son of Basil de Courcy Fraser Holroyd (a descendant of Sir George Sowley Holroyd, Justice of the King ...
.


References


Sources

* H. Pearson and M. Muggeridge. ''About Kingsmill'' (1951) * ''Hugh Kingsmill: A Critical Biography (1964)
Michael Holroyd Sir Michael de Courcy Fraser Holroyd (born 27 August 1935) is an English biographer. Early life and education Holroyd was born in London, the son of Basil de Courcy Fraser Holroyd (a descendant of Sir George Sowley Holroyd, Justice of the King ...


External links


Michael Holroyd, "Hugh Kingsmill, forgotten writer", ''The Times Literary Supplement'', 17 January 2007
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kingsmill, Hugh 1889 births 1949 deaths People educated at Harrow School Alumni of the University of Oxford British Army soldiers British Army personnel of World War I World War I prisoners of war held by Germany English male journalists English humorists English biographers English science fiction writers British World War I prisoners of war 20th-century British novelists British male novelists 20th-century English male writers British male biographers Military personnel from the London Borough of Camden