Alan SILLITOU

SILLITOU, Alan (Sillitoe, Alan) (p. 1928), English writer, whose bold and angry tale about the life of the working class poured a new impetus to the postwar English literature. To date Sillitou wrote numerous novels and short stories, poems and plays, but so far he is best known for his early works. His first novel, "On Saturday evening, . Sunday morning "(Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, . 1958) soon brought him success, . a year later a collection of short stories "The loneliness of the Long Distance Runner" (The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, . 1959; in the Russian translation of "The lone runner) won unanimous approval of the critics,
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Sillitou born March 4, 1928 in Nottingham. The son of a tanner, with fourteen years he worked in a factory. In 1946 he joined the British air force and two years served as a radio operator in Malaya. After returning to England he was diagnosed with tuberculosis, and he spent several months in hospital. During treatment, the future writer was actively engaged in self-education, read in translation by the classics and wrote himself, imitating liked the product. He lived in Nottingham (1950) and Kent (1951), and then for six years, traveled to France and Spain with his wife, American poet Ruth Feynlayt.

Spain Sillitou friendship with the poet R. Graves, advised him to write about Nottingham, and began work on his novel "On Saturday evening, Sunday morning". Told in this novel the history of brutal and licentious young worker Arthur Seaton, . evil in society and not taking the moral values of middle class, . immediately lifted three decades of British self-taught on the top of the literary slavy.Vsego a year Sillitou again became the focus of criticism - this time in connection with the appearance of short-story collection "The loneliness of the Long Distance Runner", . where again truthfully depicted the lives of workers in the UK,
. The story, the title of which is entitled the book was recognized as a true masterpiece, its contents - thought athlete, running long distances, which at the same time, a criminal and a thief, valued by the society with a brutal and cynical position renegade. Both works have been screened. Sillitou wrote the screenplay based on the novel "On Saturday evening, Sunday morning" in 1960. The film, which starred a young A. Finney, had an impressive commercial success in England in 1961, and later in the U.S.. The writer also wrote the screenplay for the story "Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner". Film on it with Courtney T. (1962) has become the latest success Sillitou on both continents

. Other novels Sillitou: "Key to the Door" (Key to the Door, . 1961), . "The Death of William Postersa" (The Death of William Posters, . 1965), . "Son of a widower" (The Widower's Son, . 1977), . "Storyteller" (The Storyteller, . 1979), . "Cooking" flying boat "(The Lost Flying Boat, . 1983), . "Open Door" (The Open Door, . 1988) and "Last lovers" (Last Loves, . 1990),


. Most widely known collections of short stories "The daughter of junk" (The Ragman's Daughter, . 1963), . Men, . women and children "(Men, . Women and Children, . 1973), . "Second Chance" (The Second Chance, . 1981), . "Far side of the street" (The Far Side of the Street, . 1988) and "Selected Stories" (Collected Stories, . 1995),
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His best poetry collection "Rats and Other Poems" (The Rats and Other Poems, 1960) Sillitou published in the early years. Here, poetry is impregnated with the same anger that his famous novel, first-born. Collection of "Selected Poems" (Collected Poems) was released in 1993. Sillitou also the author of children's books, which appeared a wonderful character Jim Marmalade.

In 1995 published a memoir A Writer's Life without a shell "(Life Without Armour). Reviews have confirmed that Sillitou-writer still give the same critical acclaim that when the first two books. Then around the controversy broke, . not settled yet: Who is Sillitou - traditionalist, . sentimentally attracted to writers of the past, . or genuine 'revolutionary' and 'angry young man' of his time? Sillitou himself in numerous interviews saying, . that he sees no point in dispute on this matter,
. Whatever the style Sillitou, . all agree, . that books, . like "On Saturday evening, . Sunday morning "and" loneliness of the long distance runner ", . long remain bestsellers, . because they serve as a mirror for readers from the working environment and a window for the rest of the rich in his own way and harmonious culture,
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In 1999 came a new novel Sillitou "German converts Women" (The German Numbers Woman). 'Publishers Weekly' wrote: 'seventy Sillitou in his latest novel, creates another memorable image of an outsider from a working environment - a blind veteran of World War II ... Although Sillitou no longer the former head of young age, . he, . unless, . knowledgeably describes features of the psychology of the English veteran, . gives details, . from which shiver, . and demonstrating a sympathetic understanding of single, . possessed by an obsession '.,