Vivian Beynon Harris
Vivian Beynon Harris | |
---|---|
Born | 1906 |
Died | 1987 | (aged 80–81)
Occupation | British writer |
Vivian (Parkes Lucas) Beynon Harris (1906–1987) was an English writer. He was the younger brother of the well-known science fiction writer John Wyndham.[1]
Early life
His mother was Gertrude Parkes, the daughter of successful Birmingham ironmaster John Israel Parkes.[a][3] His father was George Beynon Harris, a schoolteacher from Port Eynon in South Wales, who, after passing the Incorporated Law Society final examination in 1889,[4] practised as a solicitor in Cardiff, becoming a member of the Town Council in 1897.[5]
After marrying Gertrude, George became a barrister, a career more suited to their social position.[6]
From 1909 to 1911 the Harris family lived at 239
He wrote of his upbringing, "We loved our mother and each other and we were as close as it is possible for a family to be."[8] Later, the two boys both attended Bedales School in Hampshire.[1] Harris and his brother remained very close for the rest of their lives.
From 1925 to 1927, Harris studied to become an actor at the
Career
Some years later, while he was recovering from a nervous breakdown suffered during
He and his brother were in almost daily contact until his brother's death in 1969, after which he was responsible for administering his brother's literary estate.[1] He also wrote two memoirs of his brother including one for Foundation: The International Review Of Science Fiction.[12]
Death and legacy
After Harris died in 1987, his bequest amounting to £9924.29 to the
, where a panel now reads:The National Trust is grateful for the financial assistance received towards the acquisition of Cwrt farm from the Countryside Commission, the World Wide Fund for Nature Conservation (with sponsorship from Office Supplies Ltd.), the Nature Conservancy Council, individual donors and a substantial legacy from Vivian Beynon Harris in memory of his brother (who wrote under the name of 'John Wyndham'), Gertrude Harris, Grace Beynon Harris and Lila Mary Grettan.
This memorial includes his mother Gertrude, his brother's wife Grace and his own long-time partner Lila, but excludes any mention of his father.[11]
Works
Four of his novels were published, and at least five more were completed but remained unpublished.[10]
- Trouble at Hanard[14] (London: Partridge Publications, 1948)
- Confusion at Campden Trig[15] (London: Museum Press Limited, 1948)
- One Thing Constant[16] (London: Museum Press Limited, 1949)
- Song for a Siren[17] (London: Museum Press Limited, 1951)
Unpublished works include:
- Son of the Morning (science fiction novel)[10]
- Happiness Music (science fiction novel)[18]
- Jack and me: growing up with John Wyndham (manuscript)[1]
- John Wyndham, 1903–1969 (manuscript)[1]
Notes
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Vivian Beynon Harris - Special Collections & Archives - Library at University of Liverpool". libguides.liverpool.ac.uk. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g Ketterer, David (22 June 2005). "John Wyndham and the sins of his father: Damaging Disclosures in Court". Extrapolation. 46 (2): 163–189.
- required.)
- ^ "Incorporated Law Society". News. The Times. No. 32684. London. 27 April 1889. p. 15. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
- ^ "Barrister's Action For Damages". Law. The Times. No. 40152. London. 6 March 1913. p. 3. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
- ^ .
- ^ "Did the West Midlands inspire a sci-fi writer's sinister villages?". The Birmingham Dispatch. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
- ^ "John Wyndham". authorscalendar.info. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
- ^ "High Court Of Justice". Law. The Times. No. 45820. London. 12 May 1931. p. 5. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
- ^ a b c d "HUBbub: The Corrected and Expanded Introduction to PLAN FOR CHAOS by John Wyndham, edited by David Ketterer and Andy Sawyer (Liverpool University Press, 2009)". sfhubbub.blogspot.co.uk. 17 November 2009. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-85323-584-2.
- ^ Harris, Vivian Beynon, and David Ketterer. "[My Brother, ] John Wyndham, A Memoir." Foundation: The International Review Of Science Fiction 28, no. 75 (Spring 1999): 5–50
- ^ "Cwrt Farm" (PDF). National Trust. 16 July 2010. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
- ^ "Trouble at Hanard: Amazon.co.uk: Vivian Beynon-Harris: Books". Amazon UK. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
- ^ Confusion at Campden Trig. A novel: Amazon.co.uk: Vivian Beynon Harris: Books. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
- ^ "One Thing Constant: Amazon.co.uk: Vivian Beynon Harris: Books". Amazon UK. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
- ^ "Song for a siren: Amazon.co.uk: Vivian Beynon Harris: Books". Amazon UK. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
- ^ "Special Collections & Archives :: Correspondence with Laurence Pollinger Ltd. Authors' Agents (1970–1977) | Reference Wyndham 13/2/3". sca-arch.liv.ac.uk. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
External links
- "SF Hub: Vivian Beynon Harris archive". Archived from the original on 20 July 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
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