Ray Coryton Hutchinson (23 January 1907 – 3 July 1975) was a best-selling British novelist. His posthumously published novel ''

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'' (1976) was short-listed for the 1976

Booker Prize The Booker Prize, formerly the Booker Prize for Fiction (1969–2001) and the Man Booker Prize (2002–2019), is a prestigious literary award conferred each year for the best single work of sustained fiction written in the English language, wh ...

. He was born in

Finchley Finchley () is a large district of north London, England, in the London Borough of Barnet. north of Charing Cross, nearby districts include: Golders Green, Muswell Hill, Friern Barnet, Whetstone, London, Whetstone, Mill Hill and Hendon. It is ...

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, former county in South East England, now mainly within Greater London. Its boundaries largely followed three rivers: the River Thames, Thames in the south, the River Lea, Le ...

and educated at

Monkton Combe School Monkton Combe School is a public school ( fee-charging boarding and day school), in the village of Monkton Combe near Bath in Somerset, England. History Monkton Combe School was founded in 1868 by the Revd. Francis Pocock, a former curate ...

, near Bath from 1920 to 1924. He received his BA at

Oriel College Oriel College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. Located in Oriel Square, the college has the distinction of being the oldest royal foundation in Oxford (a title formerly claimed by University College, ...

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in 1927 and joined the advertising department at

Colman's Colman's is an English manufacturer of mustard and other sauces, formerly based and produced for 160 years at Carrow, in Norwich, Norfolk. Owned by Unilever since 1995, Colman's is one of the oldest existing food brands, famous for a limited ra ...

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of the county of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. It lies by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. The population of the Norwich ...

. He married Margaret Owen Jones in April 1929. His first novel, '' Thou Hast a Devil'', was published in 1930. It was followed by '' The Answering Glory'' (1932), and '' The Unforgotten Prisoner'' (1933), which sold 150,000 copies in the first month. Subsequent novels also sold very well and in 1935 he left Colman's to begin writing full-time. In March 1940 he joined the army, and in July was posted as captain in the 8th Battalion of the

Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment) The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment), formerly the 3rd Regiment of Foot, was a line infantry regiment of the British Army traditionally raised in the English county of Kent and garrisoned at Canterbury. It had a history dating back to 1572 and ...

. He travelled widely during the Second World War, while continuing to write. In October 1945, after preparing the official history of the

Paiforce Iraqforce was a British and Commonwealth formation that came together in the Kingdom of Iraq. The formation fought in the Middle East during World War II. Background During World War I, the British Army defeated the Ottoman Army in the Middle Ea ...

campaign, he was demobilised with the rank of major. After the war he wrote many more successful novels, often recommended by book clubs. He was elected a Fellow of the

Royal Society of Literature The Royal Society of Literature (RSL) is a learned society founded in 1820 by King George IV to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". A charity that represents the voice of literature in the UK, the RSL has about 800 Fellows, elect ...

in June 1962. He died before completing the last chapter of his novel, ''

'' (1976). It was published in September of the same year and short-listed for the

in November 1976. His published work comprises 17 novels and 28 short stories, as well as one play, ''

Last Train South A last is a mechanical form shaped like a human foot. It is used by shoemakers and cordwainers in the manufacture and repair of shoes. Lasts come in many styles and sizes, depending on the exact job they are designed for. Common variations in ...

'' (1938).

Novels

*''Thou Hast a Devil'' (1930) *''The Caravan of Culture'' (1930, unpublished) *''The Answering Glory'' (1932) *''The Unforgotten Prisoner'' (1933) *''One Light Burning'' (1935) *''Shining Scabbard'' (1936) *''Testament'' (1938) *''The Fire and the Wood'' (1940) *''Interim'' (1945) *''Elephant and Castle'' (1949) *''Recollection of a Journey'' (1952) **US title: ''Journey with Strangers'' *''The Stepmother'' (1955) *''March the Ninth'' (1957) *''Image of My Father'' (1961) **US title: ''The Inheritor'' *''A Child Possessed'' (1964) **Winner of the W. H. Smith Literary Award in 1966 *''Johanna at Daybreak'' (1969) *''Origins of Cathleen'' (1971) *''

'' (1976)

Drama

:*The Pace for Living

References

*R. C. Hutchinson. ''The Quixotes: Collected Stories''. Edited by Robert Green. Carcanet Press, Manchester, 1984.

External links

R. C. Hutchinson Papers
at the

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1907 births 1975 deaths Fellows of the Royal Society of Literature People from Finchley People educated at Monkton Combe School 20th-century British novelists British male novelists 20th-century British male writers {{UK-novelist-stub