Bill Hopkins (5 May 1928 – 6 May 2011) was a Welsh novelist and journalist who has been grouped with the angry young men. His father was Ted Hopkins, a popular stage performer; his mother was Violet Brodrick.
Hopkins's one published novel is a philosophical thriller, The Divine and the Decay (London, MacGibbon and Kee, 1957), also published as The Leap! In this story, the fate of Britain hangs in the balance. Political parties are jockeying for power. A recently formed political party, the New Britain Party, is led by a visionary firebrand, Peter Plowart, who has planned the assassination of his arch-rival, the leader of his own political party. As Plowart anticipates the assassination, he realises that he must establish an alibi to show that he was somewhere else when it comes to pass. After examining the statistical tables of a meticulously researched government census, he decides to make a journey to a little island off the coast of Britain (modelled on one of the smaller Channel Islands) and give a speech to the citizens there. If everything is timed properly, he can rely on the inhabitants vouching for his presence among them when the assassination takes place. His encounter with the islanders, however, leads him to question and test his "will power".
The novel received a negative response in various quarters. For example, Graham Hough of Encounter called it "an adolescent power-fantasy, extremely shoddily written" and expressed surprise that "even the naivest masturbations of the most unhappy young man should be able to take this openly Fascist form."[2] The publisher voluntarily recalled all known copies of the work and had them destroyed, in response to such allegations that it contained fascistic themes.[citation needed] Surviving copies from the publisher's initial print run are rare and can command prices in three figures.[3] The novel was reprinted in 1984 under the title The Leap!, with an introduction by Colin Wilson and a new preface by Hopkins.
Hopkins was also the author of "Ways Without Precedent", an essay included in Declaration, edited by Tom Maschler (London, MacGibbon & Kee, 1957), an anthology of non-fiction pieces by writers identified as Angry Young Men and Women. In "Aiming for a Likeness", his contribution to Colin Wilson: A Celebration (1988), he recalls how he arranged a meeting between Wilson and the portrait and fresco painter Pietro Annigoni.[4]
In the mid-1980s, Hopkins edited and published The Monitor (originally titled The Arab Monitor), employing artist Cliff G. Hanley to design the covers. This was a news magazine focused on the Middle East.
Hopkins has been grouped with the authors Colin Wilson and Stuart Holroyd, with whom he shared a house in London in the late 1950s.[5]
He was survived by his German-born wife, Carla Hopkins, who owns the antiques store they ran together for many years, and one of his sisters, Mary Angela Thomas, living in San Francisco, California, plus a nephew and niece.
Referencesedit
^"Bill Hopkins and the Angry Young Men". 6 July 2006. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
Photographs of Bill Hopkins by Ida Kar at the National Portrait Gallery site.
April 13, 2024
bill, hopkins, novelist, bill, hopkins, 1928, 2011, welsh, novelist, journalist, been, grouped, with, angry, young, father, hopkins, popular, stage, performer, mother, violet, brodrick, bill, hopkinsbornbill, hopkins, 1928, 1928cardiff, died6, 2011, 2011, aged. Bill Hopkins 5 May 1928 6 May 2011 was a Welsh novelist and journalist who has been grouped with the angry young men His father was Ted Hopkins a popular stage performer his mother was Violet Brodrick Bill HopkinsBornBill Hopkins 1928 05 05 5 May 1928Cardiff 1 Died6 May 2011 2011 05 06 aged 83 OccupationWriterNationalityBritishPeriod20th centuryLiterary movementAngry young menHopkins s one published novel is a philosophical thriller The Divine and the Decay London MacGibbon and Kee 1957 also published as The Leap In this story the fate of Britain hangs in the balance Political parties are jockeying for power A recently formed political party the New Britain Party is led by a visionary firebrand Peter Plowart who has planned the assassination of his arch rival the leader of his own political party As Plowart anticipates the assassination he realises that he must establish an alibi to show that he was somewhere else when it comes to pass After examining the statistical tables of a meticulously researched government census he decides to make a journey to a little island off the coast of Britain modelled on one of the smaller Channel Islands and give a speech to the citizens there If everything is timed properly he can rely on the inhabitants vouching for his presence among them when the assassination takes place His encounter with the islanders however leads him to question and test his will power The novel received a negative response in various quarters For example Graham Hough of Encounter called it an adolescent power fantasy extremely shoddily written and expressed surprise that even the naivest masturbations of the most unhappy young man should be able to take this openly Fascist form 2 The publisher voluntarily recalled all known copies of the work and had them destroyed in response to such allegations that it contained fascistic themes citation needed Surviving copies from the publisher s initial print run are rare and can command prices in three figures 3 The novel was reprinted in 1984 under the title The Leap with an introduction by Colin Wilson and a new preface by Hopkins Hopkins was also the author of Ways Without Precedent an essay included in Declaration edited by Tom Maschler London MacGibbon amp Kee 1957 an anthology of non fiction pieces by writers identified as Angry Young Men and Women In Aiming for a Likeness his contribution to Colin Wilson A Celebration 1988 he recalls how he arranged a meeting between Wilson and the portrait and fresco painter Pietro Annigoni 4 In the mid 1980s Hopkins edited and published The Monitor originally titled The Arab Monitor employing artist Cliff G Hanley to design the covers This was a news magazine focused on the Middle East Hopkins has been grouped with the authors Colin Wilson and Stuart Holroyd with whom he shared a house in London in the late 1950s 5 He was survived by his German born wife Carla Hopkins who owns the antiques store they ran together for many years and one of his sisters Mary Angela Thomas living in San Francisco California plus a nephew and niece References edit Bill Hopkins and the Angry Young Men 6 July 2006 Retrieved 23 July 2023 Hough Graham February 1958 New Novels Encounter p 86 abebooks com retrieved 21 March 2020 Aiming for a Likeness in Colin Wilson a Celebration Essays and Recollections 1988 ed Colin Stanley London Cecil Woolf pp 47 49 Holroyd Stuart 1975 Contraries A Personal Progression London The Bodley Head Ltd External links editInterview with Bill Hopkins on YouTube by Stewart Home Photographs of Bill Hopkins by Ida Kar at the National Portrait Gallery site Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Bill Hopkins novelist amp oldid 1211966761, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
