Simon James Holliday Gray (21 October 1936 – 7 August 2008) was an English playwright and memoirist who also had a career as a university lecturer in

English literature English literature is literature written in the English language from United Kingdom, its crown dependencies, the Republic of Ireland, the United States, and the countries of the former British Empire. ''The Encyclopaedia Britannica'' defines E ...

Queen Mary, University of London , mottoeng = With united powers , established = 1785 – The London Hospital Medical College1843 – St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College1882 – Westfield College1887 – East London College/Queen Mary College , type = Public researc ...

, for 20 years. While teaching at Queen Mary, Gray began his writing career as a novelist in 1963 and, during the next 45 years, in addition to five published novels, wrote 40 original stage plays, screenplays, and screen adaptations of his own and others' works for stage, film, and television and became well known for the self-deprecating wit characteristic of several volumes of memoirs or diaries. (Gardner and other sources cite the date of Gray's death as 6 August 2008; some sources, including the obituary by Billington and the book review by Scurr, give the day of Gray's death as 7 August 2008.)

Biography

Simon James Holliday Gray was born on 21 October 1936 on

Hayling Island Hayling Island is an island off the south coast of England, in the borough of Havant in the county of Hampshire, east of Portsmouth. History An Iron Age shrine in the north of Hayling Island was later developed into a Roman temple in the 1st c ...

, in

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...

, England to James Gray and his wife

Barbara Barbara may refer to: People * Barbara (given name) * Barbara (painter) (1915–2002), pseudonym of Olga Biglieri, Italian futurist painter * Barbara (singer) (1930–1997), French singer * Barbara Popović (born 2000), also known mononymously as ...

(née Holliday). His father, who later became a

pathologist Pathology is the study of the causes and effects of disease or injury. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in t ...

, worked on the island as GP. In 1939, during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, when he was three years old, Simon and his elder brother Nigel were evacuated to

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...

, Quebec, Canada, to live in "a house where his grandfather and

is grandfather's In linguistics, a copula (plural: copulas or copulae; abbreviated ) is a word or phrase that links the subject of a sentence to a subject complement, such as the word ''is'' in the sentence "The sky is blue" or the phrase ''was not being'' i ...

alcoholic wife were attended upon by a younger aunt"; in 1945, when he was nearly 10, he returned to England, where he was educated at

Westminster School Westminster School is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Westminster, London, England, in the precincts of Westminster Abbey. It derives from a charity school founded by Westminster Benedictines before the 1066 Norman Conquest, as d ...

, in London. In 1957, he received a BA from

Dalhousie University Dalhousie University (commonly known as Dal) is a large public research university in Nova Scotia, Canada, with three campuses in Halifax, a fourth in Bible Hill, and a second medical school campus in Saint John, New Brunswick. Dalhousie offer ...

Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of the 2021 Census, the municipal population was 439,819, with 348 ...

; and, in 1961, another B.A. from

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge or Oxford. ...

. In 1965, he was appointed a lecturer in English at

Queen Mary College , mottoeng = With united powers , established = 1785 – The London Hospital Medical College1843 – St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College1882 – Westfield College1887 – East London College/Queen Mary College , type = Public researc ...

, London. He married his first wife, Beryl Kevern, in 1965; they had two children, a son, Benjamin, and a daughter, Lucy, and were divorced in 1997. During their marriage, he had an eight-year affair with another Queen Mary lecturer, Victoria Katherine Rothschild (b. 1953), a daughter of Sir Nathaniel Rothschild, 3rd Baron Rothschild; in 1997, after his divorce, they married, living together in west London, until his death. In 2004 he was appointed

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

for services to drama and literature. Suffering from both lung cancer and

prostate cancer Prostate cancer is cancer of the prostate. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancerous tumor worldwide and is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related mortality among men. The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system that su ...

and related ailments at the time of his death, he died of an

abdominal aortic aneurysm Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a localized enlargement of the abdominal aorta such that the diameter is greater than 3 cm or more than 50% larger than normal. They usually cause no symptoms, except during rupture. Occasionally, abdominal ...

, on 7 August 2008, at the age of 71.

Career

When he was still in his 20s, he began his writing career as a novelist with ''Colmain'', published by

Faber and Faber Faber and Faber Limited, usually abbreviated to Faber, is an independent publishing house in London. Published authors and poets include T. S. Eliot (an early Faber editor and director), W. H. Auden, Margaret Storey, William Golding, Samuel ...

in 1963. His career in drama began when he adapted one of his own short stories, '' The Caramel Crisis'', for television. He subsequently wrote a number of plays for, amongst others, ''

The Wednesday Play ''The Wednesday Play'' is an anthology series of British television plays which ran on BBC1 for six seasons from October 1964 to May 1970. The plays were usually original works written for television, although dramatic adaptations of fiction ...

'' and ''

Play for Today ''Play for Today'' is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC1 from 1970 to 1984. During the run, more than three hundred programmes, featuring original television plays, and adaptations of stag ...

'' BBC anthology series, frequently in collaboration with the producer Kenith Trodd. Gray wrote 40 plays and screenplays for the stage, television, and film and eight volumes of memoirs based on his diaries. ''

Wise Child ''Wise Child'' is a 1967 play by English playwright Simon Gray. Plot The play concerns orphaned Jerry Artminster, who blackmails a criminal named Jock Masters by promising he will not reveal his identity if Jock agrees to impersonate the boy's ...

'', an adaptation of a TV play deemed too shocking for the small screen, was his first stage play. It starred Simon Ward and

Alec Guinness Sir Alec Guinness (born Alec Guinness de Cuffe; 2 April 1914 – 5 August 2000) was an English actor. After an early career on the stage, Guinness was featured in several of the Ealing comedies, including '' Kind Hearts and Coronets'' (1 ...

and was produced by Michael Codron at

Wyndham's Theatre Wyndham's Theatre is a West End theatre, one of two opened by actor/manager Charles Wyndham (the other is the Criterion Theatre). Located on Charing Cross Road in the City of Westminster, it was designed c.1898 by W. G. R. Sprague, the archite ...

in 1967. Subsequently, he wrote original plays for both radio and television and adaptations, including a TV adaptation of ''

The Rector’s Daughter ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in ...

'', by F. M. Mayor, and stage adaptations of ''

Tartuffe ''Tartuffe, or The Impostor, or The Hypocrite'' (; french: Tartuffe, ou l'Imposteur, ), first performed in 1664, is a theatrical comedy by Molière. The characters of Tartuffe, Elmire, and Orgon are considered among the greatest classical thea ...

'' and ''

The Idiot ''The Idiot'' ( pre-reform Russian: ; post-reform rus, Идиот, Idiót) is a novel by the 19th-century Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. It was first published serially in the journal ''The Russian Messenger'' in 1868–69. The title is an ...

''. His original television screenplays include '' Running Late'', ''

After Pilkington ''After Pilkington'' is a BBC television drama film written by Simon Gray, starring Miranda Richardson, Bob Peck and Barry Foster. It was first broadcast as part of BBC Two's ''Screen Two'' series, in 1987. Plot The quiet life of Oxford profes ...

'', '' Unnatural Pursuits'', and '' A Month in the Country''. His 1971 play '' Butley'', produced by Codron, began a long creative partnership with

Harold Pinter Harold Pinter (; 10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramatists with a writing career that span ...

as director of both the play and the film versions and continued the partnership with the actor

Alan Bates Sir Alan Arthur Bates (17 February 1934 – 27 December 2003) was an English actor who came to prominence in the 1960s, when he appeared in films ranging from the popular children's story '' Whistle Down the Wind'' to the " kitchen sink" dram ...

begun with Gray's 1967 television play ''Death of a Teddy Bear''. In all Bates starred in 11 of Gray's works, while Pinter directed 10 separate productions of Gray's works for stage, film, and television, beginning with ''Butley''. The last one was a stage production of '' The Old Masters'', starring

Peter Bowles Peter Bowles (16 October 1936 – 17 March 2022) was an English television and stage actor. He gained prominence for television dramas such as '' Callan: A Magnum for Schneider'' and ''I, Claudius''. He is however, best remembered for his roles ...

and Edward Fox. (Converted to a memorial site after death of Alan Bates.) As with '' Butley'' (1971) and '' Otherwise Engaged'' (1975), whose London productions and films both starred Bates, and '' Quartermaine's Terms'' (1981), starring Fox, Gray "often returned to the subject of the lives and trials of educated intellectuals." He wrote many other successful stage plays, including ''

The Common Pursuit ''The Common Pursuit'' is a play by Simon Gray which follows the lives of six characters who first meet as undergraduates at Cambridge University when they are involved in setting up a literary magazine called ''The Common Pursuit''. The title is ...

'', ''

The Late Middle Classes ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'', '' Hidden Laughter'', '' Japes'', ''

Close of Play Close may refer to: Music * ''Close'' (Kim Wilde album), 1988 * ''Close'' (Marvin Sapp album), 2017 * ''Close'' (Sean Bonniwell album), 1969 * "Close" (Sub Focus song), 2014 * "Close" (Nick Jonas song), 2016 * "Close" (Rae Sremmurd song), 201 ...

'', '' The Rear Column'', and '' Little Nell'', several of which he directed himself. In 1984, at the suggestion of

Robert McCrum John Robert McCrum (born 7 July 1953) is an English writer and editor, holding senior editorial positions at Faber and Faber over seventeen years, followed by a long association with ''The Observer''. Early life The son of Michael William McC ...

Faber Faber may refer to: People * Faber (surname) Companies * Faber and Faber (also known as "Faber and Gwyer"), publishing house in the United Kingdom * Faber-Castell, German manufacturer of writing instruments * Faber Music, British sheet musi ...

editor-in-chief at that time, he kept a diary of the London premiere of ''

'' (directed by Pinter) at the

Lyric Hammersmith The Lyric Theatre, also known as the Lyric Hammersmith, is a theatre on Lyric Square, off King Street, Hammersmith, London.

), resulting in the first of his 8 volumes of theatre-related and personal memoirs, ''An Unnatural Pursuit'' (

1985), and culminating in the critically acclaimed trilogy entitled ''The Smoking Diaries'' (Granta, 2004–2008). Gray's play about George Blake, '' Cell Mates'' (1995), starring Rik Mayall,

Stephen Fry Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English actor, broadcaster, comedian, director and writer. He first came to prominence in the 1980s as one half of the comic double act Fry and Laurie, alongside Hugh Laurie, with the two starrin ...

and Simon Ward, attracted media attention when

suffered a nervous breakdown and abruptly "fled to

Bruges Bruges ( , nl, Brugge ) is the capital and largest city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Scienc ...

" after the third West End performance, thus leaving the show without its lead actor. Gray subsequently wrote his theatrical memoir ''Fat Chance'', providing an account of the episode. In August 2008, shortly before his death, he attracted further press attention with his criticism of the

Royal National Theatre The Royal National Theatre in London, commonly known as the National Theatre (NT), is one of the United Kingdom's three most prominent publicly funded performing arts venues, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera House. I ...

's "cowardice" in dealing with the subject of radical Islam.

Posthumous tributes and related developments

Gray's final volume of diaries, ''Coda'', "so named because it rounds off the trilogy of 'Smoking Diaries' (The Smoking Diaries, The Year of the Jouncer and The Last Cigarette) … a meditation on death, or rather dying, an account of living on borrowed time," was published posthumously by Faber and Faber and ''

Granta ''Granta'' is a literary magazine and publisher in the United Kingdom whose mission centres on its "belief in the power and urgency of the story, both in fiction and non-fiction, and the story’s supreme ability to describe, illuminate and ma ...

'' in November 2008. From 8 to 12 December 2008, in five 15-minute episodes, actor

Toby Stephens Toby Stephens (born 21 April 1969) is an English actor who has appeared in films in the UK, US and India. He is known for the roles of Bond villain Gustav Graves in the 2002 James Bond film ''Die Another Day'' (for which he was nominated for the ...

read from this "candid and darkly comic account of coming to terms with terminal cancer" for

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of Talk radio, spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history fro ...

's ''

Book of the Week ''Book of the Week'' is a BBC Radio 4 series that is broadcast daily on week days. Each week, extracts from the selected book, usually a non-fiction work, are read over five episodes; each fifteen-minute episode is broadcast in the morning (9:45a ...

''. ''Simon Gray: A Celebration'', directed by Harry Burton, who directed Gray's last stage production in Spring 2008 ('' Quartermaine's Terms'' at

Theatre Royal, Windsor The Theatre Royal is an Edwardian theatre on Thames Street in Windsor in Berkshire. The present building is the second theatre to stand on this site and opened on 13 December 1910. Built for Sir Wiliam Shipley and Captain Reginald Shipley, it was ...

), was held at the

Comedy Theatre The Harold Pinter Theatre, known as the Comedy Theatre until 2011,

, in London, on 15 March 2009. A production entitled ''The Last Cigarette'', based on Gray's and Hugh Whitemore's adaptation of the three volumes of his memoirs called ''The Smoking Diaries'' and directed by

Richard Eyre Sir Richard Charles Hastings Eyre (born 28 March 1943) is an English film, theatre, television and opera director. Biography Eyre was born in Barnstaple, Devon, England, the son of Richard Galfridus Hastings Giles Eyre and his wife, Minna Ma ...

, opened at the Minerva Theatre, Chichester, England, in April 2009. The production, with Felicity Kendal,

Nicholas Le Prevost Nicholas Le Prevost (born 18 March 1947) is an English actor. Early life Le Prevost was born in Wiltshire. He was educated at Shaftesbury Grammar School, Shaftesbury, Dorset from 1957 to 1961 and at Kingswood School, Bath from 1961 to 1964 ...

, and Jasper Britton, then transferred to the

Trafalgar Studios Trafalgar Theatre is a new West End theatre in Whitehall, near Trafalgar Square, in the City of Westminster, London. It is set to open in spring 2021 following a major multi-million pound restoration project aiming to reinstate it back to its o ...

, in London's

West End West End most commonly refers to: * West End of London, an area of central London, England * West End theatre, a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London, England West End may also refer to: Pl ...

, An official web site was launched in October 2009. According to Young, she learned from talking with actor and director Harry Burton that Simon Gray's widow, Victoria Gray, "was thinking of creating a website for her late husband, as an online resource for anyone interested in his work", and Young, who says she creates websites for magazines, "leapt at the chance. Can't think of anything nicer than working on a literary website for a change (instead of magazine ones, which is what I am doing at the moment)." Young recounts meeting with Victoria Gray to discuss details about creating such a website. ''

'' finally received its London premiere on 27 May 2010 at the

Donmar Warehouse The Donmar Warehouse is a 251-seat, not-for-profit theatre in Covent Garden, London, England. It first opened on 18 July 1977. Sam Mendes, Michael Grandage and Josie Rourke have all served as artistic director, a post held since 2019 by M ...

in London, directed by David Leveaux and starring Helen McCrory, Eleanor Bron, Peter Sullivan and

Robert Glenister Robert Lewis Glenister (born 11 March 1960 in Watford, Hertfordshire) is an English actor. The son of the television director John Glenister and the older brother of actor Philip Glenister, his roles include con man Ash "Three Socks" Morgan ...

. The original production of the play, directed by Harold Pinter, was prevented from reaching its intended

West End theatre West End theatre is mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres in and near the West End of London.Christopher Innes, "West End" in ''The Cambridge Guide to Theatre'' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998), pp. 1194– ...

by a musical about a boy band. Gray's experience of this production is the subject of his diary ''Enter a Fox''. In May–June 2014 ''In the Vale of Health'', consisting of three unseen plays and one revival—''Japes'', ''Michael'', ''Japes Too'' and ''Missing Dates''—was performed at the

Hampstead Theatre Hampstead Theatre is a theatre in South Hampstead in the London Borough of Camden. It specialises in commissioning and producing new writing, supporting and developing the work of new writers. Roxana Silbert has been the artistic director sin ...

, London, directed by Tamara Harvey and starring Gethin Anthony, Jamie Ballard, Imogen Doel, Tom Mothersdale and Laura Rees. The plays tell the story, from different perspectives, of two brothers who fall in love with the same woma

Plays

*''

'',

(1967) *'' Dutch Uncle (play), Dutch Uncle'',

Aldwych Theatre The Aldwych Theatre is a West End theatre, located in Aldwych in the City of Westminster, central London. It was listed Grade II on 20 July 1971. Its seating capacity is 1,200 on three levels. History Origins The theatre was constructed in the ...

(1969) *''

'' (adapted from

Dostoyevsky Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (, ; rus, Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский, Fyódor Mikháylovich Dostoyévskiy, p=ˈfʲɵdər mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪdʑ dəstɐˈjefskʲɪj, a=ru-Dostoevsky.ogg, links=yes; 11 November 18219 ...

Old Vic Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England * Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, M ...

(1970) *'' Spoiled'',

Haymarket Theatre The Theatre Royal Haymarket (also known as Haymarket Theatre or the Little Theatre) is a West End theatre on Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use. Samuel Foot ...

(February 1971) *'' Butley'',

Criterion Theatre The Criterion Theatre is a West End theatre at Piccadilly Circus in the City of Westminster, and is a Grade II* listed building. It has a seating capacity of 588. Building the theatre In 1870, the caterers Spiers and Pond began developmen ...

(1971) *'' Otherwise Engaged'', Queen's Theatre (1975) *''Dog Days'', Oxford 1976; Eyre Methuen (1976) *''Molly'', stage adaptation of his television play ''Death of a Teddy Bear'' (1967), based on the Francis Rattenbury 1935 murder case,

Comedy Theatre The Harold Pinter Theatre, known as the Comedy Theatre until 2011,

(1978) *'' The Rear Column'', The Globe Theatre (1978); Eyre Methuen (1978) *''

'', National Theatre Lyttelton (1979) *'' Stage Struck'', Vaudeville Theatre (1979) *'' Quartermaine's Terms'', Queen's Theatre (1981) *''

'' (adaptation),

Kennedy Center The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...

, Washington, D.C. (1982) *''

'',

Lyric Hammersmith The Lyric Theatre, also known as the Lyric Hammersmith, is a theatre on Lyric Square, off King Street, Hammersmith, London.

(1984) *''Melon'' (later revised as '' The Holy Terror''),

Theatre Royal Haymarket The Theatre Royal Haymarket (also known as Haymarket Theatre or the Little Theatre) is a West End theatre on Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use. Samuel Foot ...

(1987) *'' Hidden Laughter'', Vaudeville Theatre (1990) *''The Holy Terror'', Temple of Arts Theater,

Tucson, Arizona , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive ...

(1991) *'' Cell Mates'', Albery Theatre (1995) *''Simply Disconnected'', sequel to ''Otherwise Engaged'', Minerva Theatre, Chichester (1996) *''

Life Support Life support comprises the treatments and techniques performed in an emergency in order to support life after the failure of one or more vital organs. Healthcare providers and emergency medical technicians are generally certified to perform basic ...

'',

(1997) *''Just the Three of Us'', Yvonne Arnaud Theatre (1997); Nick Hern Books (1999) *''

'',

Watford Watford () is a town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in Hertfordshire, England, 15 miles northwest of Central London, on the River Colne, Hertfordshire, River Colne. Initially a small market town, the Grand Junction Canal en ...

Palace (1999) *'' Japes'', Peter Hall Company, Mercury Theatre, Colchester (2000) and

(2001) *''Japes Too'' and ''Michael'', published in ''Four Plays'' by Faber (2004) *''The Pig Trade'', published in ''Four Plays'' (2004) *''The Holy Terror'' (revival),

Duke of York's Theatre The Duke of York's Theatre is a West End theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster, London. It was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who retained ownership of the theatre until her death in 1935. Designed by t ...

(2004) *'' The Old Masters'' featuring art critic

Berenson Berenson is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Alex Berenson, American writer and journalist * Bernard Berenson, American art historian * Berry Berenson, American model, actress, and photographer * Gordon "Red" Berenson, Canad ...

and art dealer

Duveen Joseph Duveen, 1st Baron Duveen (14 October 1869 – 25 May 1939), known as Sir Joseph Duveen, Baronet, between 1927 and 1933, was a British art dealer who was considered one of the most influential art dealers of all time. Life and career Jos ...

Comedy Theatre The Harold Pinter Theatre, known as the Comedy Theatre until 2011,

(2004) *''Little Nell'',

(2006); Theatre Royal, Bath (2007) *''Missing Dates'',

(1 March 2008) *'' Quartermaine's Terms'' (revival), Theatre Royal, Brighton, Theatre Royal. Bath and

(2013)

Screenplays

*'' Butley'' (1974) *'' A Month in the Country'' adapted from the novel by

J. L. Carr Joseph Lloyd Carr (20 May 1912 – 26 February 1994), who called himself "Jim" or "James", was an English novelist, publisher, teacher and eccentric. Biography Carr was born in Carlton Miniott in the North Riding of Yorkshire, next to Thirsk ...

(1987)

Television plays

*'' The Caramel Crisis'' ( BBC, Thirty Minute Theatre, 25 April 1966) *''Death of a Teddy Bear'', based on the Francis Rattenbury 1935 murder case (BBC, Wednesday Play, 15 February 1967) *''A Way with the Ladies'' (BBC, Wednesday Play, 10 May 1967) *''Sleeping Dogs'' (BBC, Wednesday Play, 11 October 1967) *''The Princess'', adapted from a

D. H. Lawrence David Herbert Lawrence (11 September 1885 – 2 March 1930) was an English writer, novelist, poet and essayist. His works reflect on modernity, industrialization, sexuality, emotional health, vitality, spontaneity and instinct. His best-k ...

short story (BBC, ''The Jazz Age'', 1968) *''Spoiled'' (BBC, Wednesday Play 28 August 1968); Methuen Plays (1971) *''Mother Love'', adapted from W. Somerset Maugham (BBC, August 1969) *''Pig in a Poke'' ( ITV, Saturday Night Theatre, March 1969) *''The Dirt on Lucy Lane'' (ITV, Saturday Night Theatre, April 1969) *''The Style of the Countess'', adapted from the novel by

Gavin Lambert Gavin Lambert (23 July 1924 – 17 July 2005) was a British-born screenwriter, novelist and biographer who lived for part of his life in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood. His writing was mainly fiction and nonfiction about the film indust ...

(ITV, Playhouse, August 1970) *''Man in a Side-Car'' (BBC, Play for Today, May 1971) *''Plaintiffs and Defendants'' (BBC, October 1975) *''Two Sundays'' (BBC, October 1975) *'' The Rear Column'' (BBC, 1980)

Films for television

*'' Quartermaine's Terms'' (BBC, 1987) *''

'' (BBC, January 1987) *''Old Flames'' (BBC, 1990) *''They Never Slept'' (BBC, March 1991) *''

'' (BBC, March 1992) *''Running Late'' (BBC, October 1992) *''Unnatural Pursuits'' (semi-autobiographical, two-part satire, BBC, December 1992) *''Femme Fatale'' (BBC, February 1993)

Novels

*''Colmain'', Faber (1963) *''Simple People'', Faber (1965) *''A Comeback for Stark'' (writing as Hamish Reade), Putnam (1968), Faber (1969) *''Little Portia'', Faber (1986) *''Breaking Hearts'', Faber (1997)

Memoirs

*''An Unnatural Pursuit and Other Pieces'', Faber (1985) *''How's that for Telling 'em, Fat Lady?'', Faber (1988) *''Fat Chance'', Faber (1995) *''Enter A Fox'', Faber (2001) *''The Smoking Diaries'', Granta Books (2004) *''The Year of the Jouncer'', Granta Books (2006) *''The Last Cigarette: Smoking Diaries Volume 3'', Granta Books (2008) *''Coda'', Granta Books (2008) Excerpted in

Collected plays

''The Definitive Simon Gray''. In 4 vols. London:

, 1992–1994. :Vol. 1: Butley ''and Other Plays'' (1992). . :Vol. 2: Otherwise Engaged ''and Other Plays'' (1992). . :Vol. 3 (1993). . :Vol. 4 (1994). . ''Key Plays''. Introd.

. London:

, 2002. . (Includes: '' Butley''; '' Otherwise Engaged''; ''

''; '' Quartermaine's Terms''; and ''

''.)

Honours and awards

*1967 Writer's Guild Award for Best Play, for ''Death of a Teddy Bear'' *1971 Evening Standard Award, for '' Butley'' *1975 Best Play, New York Drama Critics' Circle and Evening Standard Award, for '' Otherwise Engaged'' *1977 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play (foreign), for '' Otherwise Engaged'' *1982 Cheltenham Literary Prize, for '' Quartermaine's Terms'' *1987 Prix Italia, for ''

'' *1993 Golden Gate Award for a Television Feature, San Francisco International Film Festival, for ''Running Late'' *1999 Barclays Theatre Award for Best New Play, for ''The Late Middle Classes'' *2004 Appointed CBE for services to Drama and Literature

Notes

External links

Simon Gray Papers
at the

Harry Ransom Center The Harry Ransom Center (until 1983 the Humanities Research Center) is an archive, library and museum at the University of Texas at Austin, specializing in the collection of literary and cultural artifacts from the Americas and Europe for the pu ...

Simon Gray
articles index in the ''

''. * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gray, Simon English people of Scottish descent Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Dalhousie University alumni English memoirists Fellows of the Royal Society of Literature People educated at Westminster School, London Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Academics of Queen Mary University of London People from Hayling Island 1936 births 2008 deaths English male dramatists and playwrights 20th-century English dramatists and playwrights 20th-century English male writers English male non-fiction writers

Biography

Career

Posthumous tributes and related developments

Plays

Screenplays

Television plays

Films for television

Novels

Memoirs

Collected plays

Honours and awards

See also

Notes

Further reading

External links