Anthony West
Anthony West was an English author born on August 4, 1914, in Hunstanton, Norfolk. He was the son of prominent writers Rebecca West and H. G. Wells, which heavily influenced his literary career and personal experiences. Much of his upbringing was marked by emotional distance from his parents, particularly his mother, leading to themes of pain and isolation in his writing. Before fully committing to literature, West held various jobs, including work as a dairy farmer and journalist for the BBC, where he served in the Far East and Japan during World War II.
After moving to the United States in 1950, West became a staff writer for The New Yorker, where he published a collection of essays titled *Principles and Persuasions* in 1957. His novels often draw from his own life, with works such as *The Vintage* and *Heritage* exploring complex themes of identity and familial disappointment. His writing is characterized by a blend of wit and emotional depth, allowing him to tackle difficult topics with tenderness. West's exploration of his parents' lives in his biography of H. G. Wells reflects his commitment to understanding his own childhood. He passed away on December 27, 1987, leaving behind a legacy of insightful and autobiographical literature.
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Subject Terms
Anthony West
Writer
- Born: August 3, 1914
- Birthplace: Hunstanton, Norfolk, England
- Died: December 27, 1987
- Place of death: Stonington, Connecticut
Biography
Anthony West was born on August 4, 1914, in Hunstanton, Norfolk, England, the son of writers Rebecca West and H. G. Wells. West spent much of his youth in boarding schools isolated from his parents. He did not know his father well and always felt his mother did not want nor love him. Much of his childhood pain and experiences of being the son of well-known authors would surface in his writings. In 1936, Wells married Katherine Church and had two children, Caroline and Edmund, prior to divorcing. West married Lily Dulaney Emmet in 1952.
Before devoting himself to writing, West took on many jobs, including dairy farmer and cattle breeder, from 1937 through 1943. In 1943, he became a journalist for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), working in the corporation’s foreign service division. He worked in the Far East from 1943 to 1945 and in Japan from 1945 to 1947. West relocated to the United States in 1950 and began a long career as a staff writer at The New Yorker, working there from 1950 until 1972. A collection of West’s writings from the magazine, Principles and Persuasions, was published in 1957 and contains his insightful, witty, and thought-provoking essays and reviews.
West wrote novels, some of which were autobiographical. His first novel, The Vintage, received much praise in both the United States and Europe, and earned him the Houghton Mifflin literary fellowship in 1950. The novel explored and questioned life through its protagonist, who deals with his own death. In 1955, West published another novel, Heritage, detailing the pain and disappointment of his upbringing. Although some authors could easily have slipped into a mode of self-pity, West was able to handle the difficult and personal subject matter with wit and intelligence. His mother was extremely upset by the novel and successfully prevented the book’s publication in England. The book was finally released in 1984.
West’s autobiographical novel David Rees, Among Others, featured a young male protagonist coming to terms with his illegitimacy and the long and lonely times spent at various boarding schools away from his unhappy family life. The story so closely follows West’s life that it is difficult to distinguish fact from fiction. The biography H. G. Wells: Aspects of Life details the lives of his mother and father and West’s upbringing. West meticulously researched his parents’ lives to ensure that the information he provided was factual and either supported or disproved his childhood memories. Although the book is brutally honest at times, West tackles difficult topics and memories with tenderness and affection. His novel The Trend Is Up is a harsh expose on American ethics and priorities, as it follows a young American who is determined to become a millionaire by the age of thirty, by any means necessary.
West died on December 27, 1987, after suffering a stroke in Stonington, Connecticut. West’s ability to handle difficult and emotional subject matter with dignity and tenderness, coupled with his gift of incorporating his autobiography into his novels, are his greatest literary achievements.