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Authors' Club

The Authors' Club is a British membership organisation established as a place where writers could meet and talk. It was founded by the novelist and critic Walter Besant in 1891. It is headquartered at the National Liberal Club.[1]

Authors' Club
Formation1891; 133 years ago (1891)
FounderWalter Besant
HeadquartersLondon, England
Location
President
John Walsh
Websitewww.authorsclub.co.uk

The Authors' Club was based for many years next door to its present site, on Whitehall Court, first moving into the National Liberal Club in 1966. After ten years there, in 1976 the Authors' Club joined forces with The Arts Club in Dover Street, London W1. In 2011 it moved to Blacks, a Grade 2* listed building by John Meard in Dean Street, Soho — a house that was once home to a club run by Samuel Johnson and Thomas Gainsborough — where it remained for three years. It has now returned to its old home in the National Liberal Club. The Club welcomes both men and women as members, and is open to all those "professionally engaged with literature".

It was at a dinner at the Authors’ Club that Oscar Wilde denounced the censorship of his play Salome. "Casting aside all his gifts of humour and irony the angry Irish poet poured out his sense of assault and battery committed upon himself and laid his spirit bare and bruised before us. Having finished he did not sit down again but swept from the company still overwhelmed by the weight of his wrongs."[2]

Three Poets Laureate — Alfred Austin, John Masefield and John Betjeman — have graced its ranks, while guest speakers included Émile Zola, Mark Twain, Rudyard Kipling, Frances Hodgson Burnett, Winston Churchill, Bram Stoker, TS Eliot and Clement Attlee. Arthur Conan Doyle was for many years chairman, and often used to read his manuscripts to members prior to publication.

The first president of the Authors' Club was the novelist George Meredith;[3] he was followed by Thomas Hardy;[4] who was in turn succeeded by J. M. Barrie.[5] Subsequent presidents included the architectural historian Sir Banister Fletcher, the Anglo-Irish writer, dramatist and poet Lord Dunsany, Compton Mackenzie — author of Whisky Galore — and Laurence Meynell. The current president is the author and The Independent columnist John Walsh.

Awards edit

The Club holds literary lunches and dinners. It hosts three literary awards each year: the Authors' Club First Novel Award, the Dolman Best Travel Book Award, and the Banister Fletcher Award for the best book on art or architecture.

Notable members edit

Past members edit

Present members edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Irish Architectural and Decorative Studies Vol. XVI - Journal Launch" 7 April 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Irish Georgian Society.
  2. ^ Phillpotts, Eden, From the angle of 88, Hutchinson [1951].
  3. ^ List of Members, Authors' Club, London, 1909.
  4. ^ List of Members, Authors' Club, London, 1910.
  5. ^ List of Members, Authors' Club, London, 1928.

External links edit

  • Official website

51°30′22″N 0°07′26″W / 51.5061°N 0.1238°W / 51.5061; -0.1238

authors, club, confused, with, society, authors, british, membership, organisation, established, place, where, writers, could, meet, talk, founded, novelist, critic, walter, besant, 1891, headquartered, national, liberal, club, formation1891, years, 1891, foun. Not to be confused with Society of Authors The Authors Club is a British membership organisation established as a place where writers could meet and talk It was founded by the novelist and critic Walter Besant in 1891 It is headquartered at the National Liberal Club 1 Authors ClubFormation1891 133 years ago 1891 FounderWalter BesantHeadquartersLondon EnglandLocation1 Whitehall Place London SW1PresidentJohn WalshWebsitewww wbr authorsclub wbr co wbr uk The Authors Club was based for many years next door to its present site on Whitehall Court first moving into the National Liberal Club in 1966 After ten years there in 1976 the Authors Club joined forces with The Arts Club in Dover Street London W1 In 2011 it moved to Blacks a Grade 2 listed building by John Meard in Dean Street Soho a house that was once home to a club run by Samuel Johnson and Thomas Gainsborough where it remained for three years It has now returned to its old home in the National Liberal Club The Club welcomes both men and women as members and is open to all those professionally engaged with literature It was at a dinner at the Authors Club that Oscar Wilde denounced the censorship of his play Salome Casting aside all his gifts of humour and irony the angry Irish poet poured out his sense of assault and battery committed upon himself and laid his spirit bare and bruised before us Having finished he did not sit down again but swept from the company still overwhelmed by the weight of his wrongs 2 Three Poets Laureate Alfred Austin John Masefield and John Betjeman have graced its ranks while guest speakers included Emile Zola Mark Twain Rudyard Kipling Frances Hodgson Burnett Winston Churchill Bram Stoker TS Eliot and Clement Attlee Arthur Conan Doyle was for many years chairman and often used to read his manuscripts to members prior to publication The first president of the Authors Club was the novelist George Meredith 3 he was followed by Thomas Hardy 4 who was in turn succeeded by J M Barrie 5 Subsequent presidents included the architectural historian Sir Banister Fletcher the Anglo Irish writer dramatist and poet Lord Dunsany Compton Mackenzie author of Whisky Galore and Laurence Meynell The current president is the author and The Independent columnist John Walsh Contents 1 Awards 2 Notable members 2 1 Past members 2 2 Present members 3 References 4 External linksAwards editThe Club holds literary lunches and dinners It hosts three literary awards each year the Authors Club First Novel Award the Dolman Best Travel Book Award and the Banister Fletcher Award for the best book on art or architecture Notable members editPast members edit Arnold Bennett Kate Louise Brown Ford Madox Ford C S Forester Graham Greene Archibald Grimke H Rider Haggard E W Hornung Michael Jacobs Jerome K Jerome Malcolm Muggeridge Barry Pain Kim Philby Anthony Powell Ameen Rihani Ernest Shackleton W W Skeat G M Trevelyan H G Wells Thornton Wilder Harold Wilson Francis Younghusband Israel Zangwill Frank R Stockton Present members edit Amanda Craig William Dalrymple Rachel Lichtenstein Deborah Moggach Nicola Monaghan Andrew O Hagan Vikram Seth Miranda Seymour Sunny SinghReferences edit Irish Architectural and Decorative Studies Vol XVI Journal Launch Archived 7 April 2014 at the Wayback Machine Irish Georgian Society Phillpotts Eden From the angle of 88 Hutchinson 1951 List of Members Authors Club London 1909 List of Members Authors Club London 1910 List of Members Authors Club London 1928 External links editOfficial website 51 30 22 N 0 07 26 W 51 5061 N 0 1238 W 51 5061 0 1238 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Authors 27 Club amp oldid 1213313899, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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