Anthony Burgess Biography
| Born as | John Burgess Wilson |
| Known as | John Anthony Burgess Wilson |
| Occup. | Novelist |
| From | United Kingdom |
| Spouses | Llewela Isherwood Jones (1942-1968)
Liana Macellari (1968) |
| Born | February 25, 1917
Manchester, England |
| Died | November 25, 1993
London, England |
| Cause | Lung cancer |
| Aged | 76 years |
Early Life and Education
Anthony Burgess, born as John Burgess Wilson on February 25, 1917, in Manchester, England, was a significant British novelist, critic, and author. Burgess was raised in a Catholic working-class family, with his mother and sister passing away during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic. His father, who was a piano player, remarried, and young Burgess participated in the Bishop Bilsborrow Memorial School till 1937.
Burgess took an interest in music from a young age and studied at the Royal Manchester College of Music (Now Royal Northern College of Music) as well as the University of Manchester, finishing in 1940 with a degree in English literature. It was during his time at university that he started utilizing the name Anthony.
Armed Force Service and Teaching Career
Throughout World War II, Burgess served in the Royal Army Medical Corps and the Army Educational Corps, and it was during this period that he began writing. After finishing his military service, he worked as a speaker at the University of Birmingham's extramural department prior to relocating to Malaysia and Brunei as part of the British Colonial Service. There, he functioned as a teacher and education officer from 1954 to 1960.
Burgess's time in Southeast Asia substantially influenced his literature. His experiences abroad during this duration supplied the background for his Malayan Trilogy, which includes "Time for a Tiger" (1956), "The Enemy in the Blanket" (1958), and "Beds in the East" (1959).
Literary Career
Upon going back to England in the early 1960s, Burgess focused on his writing profession after being diagnosed with a brain tumor and offered just a year to live. This diagnosis turned out to be inaccurate, but the urgency it cultivated led him to produce a remarkable body of work. Throughout his life, Burgess wrote over 30 books, along with many non-fiction works, essays, and critical reviews.
Burgess's writing was defined by its wit, linguistic ingenuity, and exploration of intricate styles such as identity, free will, and the nature of evil. His most popular work, "A Clockwork Orange" (1962), illustrates the life of a violent teenage gang leader named Alex, who undergoes an experimental procedure designed to suppress his criminal impulses. The novel acquired further prominence after being adjusted into a controversial film by director
Stanley Kubrick in 1971.
Additionally, he is understood for his excellent series of novels based on historic figures, including "The Man Who Was Thursday" (1986), a biography of G.K. Chesterton, and "Napoleon Symphony" (1974), an imaginary account of Napoleon's life.
Personal Life
Anthony Burgess wed Llewela Isherwood Jones, a Welshwoman, in 1942, and they had a child called Paolo Andrea. The couple was married until Llewela's death in 1968. Burgess later on married Liliana Macellari, an Italian translator, in 1968, with whom he had actually a child named Andrea.
During his life time, Burgess was familiarized with numerous literary figures, consisting of
Kingsley Amis,
Graham Greene, and J.G. Ballard. Not just was he a prolific writer, but he was likewise enthusiastic about music. Burgess made up over 250 works, ranging from symphonies, operas, and piano sonatas.
In 1986, he was granted the Royal Society of Literature's Heinemann Award for his unique "The Kingdom of the Wicked". He was likewise a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and got honorary degrees from various universities, including the University of Manchester and St. Andrews University.
Death and Legacy
Regardless of his preliminary misdiagnosis, Anthony Burgess would deal with health issues later in life, consisting of lung cancer. On November 22, 1993, he died in London at the age of 76.
Burgess's work continues to be studied and appreciated for its creativity and flexibility, with "A Clockwork Orange" remaining a substantial piece in the literary and movie worlds. In 2008, The International Anthony Burgess Foundation was developed to preserve and promote his literary and musical tradition, sealing his place as an influential figure in 20th-century British literature.
Our collection contains 21 quotes who is written / told by Anthony.
Related authors: Kingsley Amis (Novelist), Stanley Kubrick (Director), Lawrence Taylor (Athlete), Graham Greene (Playwright)
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: How many languages did Anthony Burgess speak?
A: Burgess claimed to be fluent in 8 languages and an expert in 12. - Q: Was Anthony Burgess wife attacked?
A: Yes, his first wife, Lynne, was assaulted in 1944. - Q: Anthony Burgess brain tumor
A: Burgess was falsely diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor in the early 1960s, but he did not have one. - Q: What was Anthony Burgess first book?
A: His first novel was 'Time for a Tiger' published in 1956. - Q: How did Anthony Burgess die?
A: He died from lung cancer in 1993. - Q: What was Anthony Burgess IQ?
A: Burgess claimed that his IQ was about 150. - Q: How old was Anthony Burgess?
A: He became 76 years old
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