Simon Raven
Simon Arthur Noel Raven was an English novelist, journalist, and television writer, born in 1927 in Virginia Water, Surrey. He was the grandson of a successful Victorian businessman and the eldest of three children. Raven’s early academic prowess earned him a scholarship to Charterhouse School, where he developed a keen interest in classical languages; however, he was later expelled. His experiences in the army, particularly in a parachute regiment, inspired his first novel, "The Feathers of Death," which explores themes of love and sexuality among soldiers. Raven is best known for his ten-volume series "Alms for Oblivion," published between 1964 and 1976, which follows the lives of upper-middle-class characters from their school days into adulthood.
Throughout his life, Raven struggled with personal challenges, including a tumultuous marriage and a penchant for indulgence in food, drink, and gambling, impacting his health and lifestyle. Despite these challenges, he created a significant body of work, including adaptations for television. In his later years, he lived in an alms house for elderly gentlemen, reflecting on a life characterized by both literary achievement and personal excess. Raven passed away in London on May 12, 2001, leaving behind a legacy that combines both his literary contributions and his distinctive personality.
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Simon Raven
- Born: December 28, 1927
- Birthplace: Virginia Water, Surrey, England
- Died: May 12, 2001
- Place of death: London, England
Biography
Simon Arthur Noel Raven was born in VirginiaWater, Surrey, England, in 1927, the grandson of a Victorian businessman who amassed a fortune through the manufacture of socks and the son of a man who went through most of that fortune. Raven, the oldest of three children, did well in school and showed an early ability with classical languages, earning a scholarship to Charterhouse School, where he received a classical education.
Raven showed a preference for reason over religion, viewing the latter as superstition. He also experimented with bisexuality. Despite his scholastic abilities, he was expelled from Charterhouse, even though he won a scholarship to King’s College. At loose ends about how to make a living, he joined an army parachute regiment which provided material for his writing. For example, his first novel, The Feathers of Death (1959), was based upon his military experiences in Kenya and dealt with a homosexual love affair between two soldiers. Raven left the army after running up large debts and entered King’s College in 1948.
Raven eventually became a novelist, journalist, and television writer, attracting a cult following more for his personality than for his work. He wrote numerous novels, radio and television plays, essays, and reviews. He is best known for his ten-volume Alms for Oblivion series, published from 1964 to 1976 and dealing with a group of upper-middle-class characters. The books chronicle these characters’ lives from public school to adulthood. The Rich Pay Late (1964) and Friends in Low Places (1965) were the first two novels in the series. The Sabre Squadron (1966) and Sound the Retreat (1971) focused on the characters’ military experiences; Fielding Gray (1967) went back to their school days; Places Where They Sing (1970) dealt with the student upheavals of the 1960’s; and Come Like Shadows (1972) was about the motion picture business.
Raven married Susan Mandeville Kilner in 1951 after impregnating her; they divorced in 1957. He paid for his son’s education and kept in touch with his former wife but never remarried. He overly enjoyed food, drink, and gambling to the point where he seemed to age prematurely. His publisher gave him an ultimatum to leave London or the publisher’s employment; Raven moved to Kent and, in return, his publisher settled many of his debts. The move proved beneficial because Raven settled down to writing and began to produce an impressive body of work, including adapting the works of other authors to television plays.
Raven lived out his final years in an alms house for impoverished elderly gentlemen. If he was to have an epitaph, he once said, “let it read: He always shared his bottle—and his bed.” He died in London on May 12, 2001.