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Kingsley Amis
(1922-1995)

Active: 1954-1995 in England, Britain, Europe

By Gavin Keulks (Western Oregon University)

Indexing Data:

  • Active In: England, Britain, Europe
  • Born In: England, Britain, Europe
  • Activity: Novelist, Poet, Man of Letters, Political Writer, Satirist, Story Writer

Life, Works and Times

Reader Actions

One of England’s most popular, controversial, and versatile writers, Sir Kingsley Amis was intricately involved in many of the socio-literary debates since World War II. His more than 40 books include 24 novels, seven editions of poetry, four short story collections, and hundreds of reviews and essays. From his earliest publication – Bright November (1947) – to the last during his lifetime – The Biographer’s Moustache (1995) – Kingsley Amis functioned as a moral register for the rapidly shifting mores of contemporary life. Of course such a position engendered more than its share of controversy as well. Never lacking a captive audience, either condemnatory or complimentary, Amis once quipp

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First published 06 January 2005

Citation: Keulks, Gavin. "Kingsley Amis". The Literary Encyclopedia. 6 January 2005.
[http://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=5102, accessed 9 February 2010.]