239:
During the late 1930s, Comyns began a relationship with the black-marketeer Arthur Price. The couple lived with Comyns's two children at various London addresses. Comyns generated money by modelling, converting houses into apartments, breeding poodles, renovating pianos, dealing in antique furniture
1213:
532:
556:
612:
970:
580:
196:, to Margaret Eva Mary (née Fenn) and Albert Edward Bayley, Comyns was the fourth of six children. The family home was Bell Court, a manor on the banks of the
338:
as "a crazy but interesting novelist whom I started when I was at Eyre & Spottiswoode but whom
Jerrold abandoned with all my other authors when I left".
572:
516:
430:
596:
564:
1264:
1269:
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299:, a friend found the manuscript she had written in Hertfordshire and encouraged her to publish it. Five of the stories were published in
256:
Comyns returned to London with her family in 1942. During the war, she met
Richard Strettell Comyns Carr (the son of the barrister and
866:
305:
between May 1945 and August 1946 as extracts from "the novel nobody will publish", with the manuscript later published in whole as
1254:
1216:: Correspondence with Barbara Comyns (May 1958-October 1980), Box 15, Folder 3, MS1995-003, John J. Burns Library, Boston College
1030:
765:
1244:
393:
was turned down by the publisher. Greene did not like it either. Discouraged, Comyns chose not to send it to other publishers.
352:
In 1956, Richard was laid off because of his association with Kim Philby. The Comyns Carrs moved to Spain and lived briefly on
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978:
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295:
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236:. They had two children (a son, Julian, and a daughter, Caroline), but the marriage broke down around 1935.
926:
261:
335:
244:, Comyns's poverty increased and her relationship with Arthur broke down. Comyns became a cook in a
208:
After her father's death, Bell Court was sold and Comyns left to attend art school, first in nearby
588:
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473:
318:
62:
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of artists in
November 1934. Comyns mixed amongst the artistic community of London and she knew
386:
310:
548:
420:
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362:
286:
95:
389:, the managing editor there. In 1969, after Frere had left Heinemann's, an early version of
1234:
1229:
334:, was accepted for publishing at the same time as her first. Greene later described her to
874:
8:
1207:
740:
Moorehead, Caroline (28 January 1981). "Afloat, with a down-to-earth girl called Alice".
301:
209:
200:. Her father was a Birmingham brewer and industrialist who died in 1922 when she was 15.
1111:
397:
445:
began to reprint some of her novels in the 1980s, which Greene had also recommended to
265:
257:
216:. In 1931 she married fellow artist and childhood friend John Pemberton, nephew of the
81:
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and classic cars and drawing for commercial advertisements. With the outbreak of
189:
45:
792:
Mentors, Muses & Monsters: 30 Writers on the People Who
Changed Their Lives
700:
405:
688:
284:. They married in 1945. During their honeymoon, Comyns conceived the idea for
1223:
1149:
446:
314:
281:
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816:
898:
The Works of Graham Greene, Volume 2: A Guide to the Graham Greene
Archives
490:
442:
435:
241:
229:
225:
217:
193:
528:(Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1950; Virago, 1983; New York Review Books, 2015)
248:
country house, where she wrote a series of vignettes about her childhood.
954:
MI6: Inside the Covert World of Her
Majesty's Secret Intelligence Service
754:
Wilcox, Denys J. The London Group 1913-1939, the
Artists and their Works
536:(The Bodley Head, 1954; Virago, 1987; Dorothy, 2010; Daunt Books, 2021,
409:
277:
221:
478:
401:
357:
1031:"Graham Greene's role in Barbara Comyns's writing career | The TLS"
404:. In 1974, with increasing inflation in Spain and a decline in the
325:
and Eyre & Spottiswoode left her non-standard spelling intact.
476:
in
Shropshire, in 1992. She is buried in St. Andrew's Churchyard.
1203:
616:(Methuen, 1989; St. Martin's Press, 1990; Turnpike Books, 2020,
592:(Methuen/St. Martin's Press, 1985; New York Review Books, 2018)
501:
by Avril Horner, was published by
Manchester University Press.
353:
552:(Heinemann, 1959; Virago, 1981; New York Review Books, 2003)
817:"A Critical Review: MI6: Fifty years of special operations"
425:
273:
1177:, Manchester : Manchester University Press, 2024,
766:"Barbara Comyns's Inescapable Novel "The Juniper Tree""
224:. Comyns and her husband exhibited their work with the
1017:
A Bite of the Apple: Behind the Scenes at Virago Press
396:
After living in
Barcelona for 16 years, they moved to
1096:
Gardam, Jane (4 August 1992). "Novelist levitated".
1002:
Bank of London & South America Review, Volume 11
660:(November 1945), Vol. 17, No. 5, #101, p. 375.
653:(September 1945), Vol. 17, No. 3, #99, p. 247.
584:(Heinemann, 1967; Virago, 1989; Daunt Books, 2021)
452:In the 1980s, Comyns published three more novels:
408:, the couple returned to England, moving first to
667:(August 1946), Vol. 19, No. 2, #110, p. 153.
646:(July 1945), Vol. 17, No. 1, #97, pp. 51–52.
385:, via a recommendation from Greene to his friend
1221:
689:Carr, Barbara Irene Veronica Comyns (1907–1992)
1112:"Manchester University Press - Barbara Comyns"
642:"Courious Habits of Bats, Moths and Earwigs".
639:(May 1945), Vol. 16, No. 5, #95, p. 342.
520:(Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1947; Virago, 1985)
176:; 27 December 1907 – 14 July 1992), known as
441:There was renewed interest in her work when
999:
832:
739:
1175:Barbara Comyns : a savage innocence
1004:. Lloyds Bank International. p. 66.
971:"The forgotten genius of Barbara Comyns"
789:
428:radio and adapted into the 1978 musical
1210:, with 13 library catalogue records
927:"Jane Gardam on Barbara Comyns – essay"
835:The Master Spy: The Story of Kim Philby
726:. New York: Scribner's. pp. 53–66.
693:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
1265:People from Warwickshire (before 1974)
1222:
1135:
1095:
951:
910:
850:
600:(Methuen, 1987; Turnpike Books, 2020,
1199:Internet Speculative Fiction Database
965:
963:
721:
683:
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343:1951 Pont-Saint-Esprit mass poisoning
212:, then she moved to London to attend
1014:
913:The life of Graham Greene: 1955-1991
895:
846:
844:
735:
733:
717:
715:
713:
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180:, was an English writer and artist.
695:. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
467:
13:
1270:20th-century English women artists
1250:20th-century English women writers
1167:
1063:
960:
814:
794:. Simon and Schuster. p. 56.
678:
499:Barbara Comyns: A Savage Innocence
264:and the grandson of the dramatist
170:Barbara Irene Veronica Comyns Carr
14:
1286:
1188:
841:
763:
730:
708:
631:(published as Barbara Pemberton)
290:in a dream and wrote an outline.
128: 1931, divorced)
724:British Writers: Supplement VIII
533:Who Was Changed and Who Was Dead
494:carried obituaries of her life.
347:Who Was Changed and Who Was Dead
345:, Comyns wrote her third novel,
1129:
1104:
1089:
1048:
1023:
1008:
993:
945:
919:
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859:
568:(Heinemann, 1962; Virago, 1986)
525:Our Spoons Came from Woolworths
504:
381:. These were published through
331:Our Spoons Came from Woolworths
296:Our Spoons Came from Woolworths
268:). Richard was employed in the
146:
125:
1255:20th-century English novelists
826:
808:
783:
757:
748:
1:
1245:20th-century English painters
1000:Comyns Carr, Richard (1977).
855:. London: Virago. p. xv.
671:
557:Out of the Red, Into the Blue
368:Out of the Red, Into the Blue
214:Heatherley School of Fine Art
183:
174:Barbara Irene Veronica Bayley
136:Richard Strettell Comyns Carr
34:Barbara Irene Veronica Bayley
1144:. Vol. 71, no. 4.
1142:The New York Review of Books
790:Benedict, Elizabeth (2009).
460:(written in the 1940s), and
262:Arthur Strettell Comyns Carr
7:
1275:20th-century women painters
1138:"Ducks in the Drawing Room"
1136:Wilson, Jé (7 March 2024).
1116:Manchester University Press
833:Knightley, Phillip (1990).
656:"God in the Billard Room".
360:, from where she published
220:president and noted artist
48:, Warwickshire, England, UK
10:
1291:
1071:"Obituary: Barbara Comyns"
317:was director there under
293:While Comyns was writing
251:
203:
159:
106:
87:
77:
69:
65:, Shropshire, England, UK
52:
30:
23:
16:English writer and artist
952:Dorril, Stephen (2000).
851:Comyns, Barbara (1981).
687:Celia Brayfield (2004).
464:(written in the 1960s).
341:After reading about the
1240:English women novelists
911:Sherry, Norman (2005).
704:(subscription required)
635:"The Roly-Poly Field".
474:Stanton upon Hine Heath
356:until 1958 and then in
311:Eyre & Spottiswoode
63:Stanton upon Hine Heath
1260:English women painters
701:10.1093/ref:odnb/50950
497:In 2024, a biography,
115:John Francis Pemberton
722:Hearn, Julie (2003).
649:"Good Luck Numbers".
1214:Graham Greene Papers
867:"Chronological List"
581:A Touch of Mistletoe
379:A Touch of Mistletoe
1208:Library of Congress
981:on 27 February 2020
896:Hill, Mike (2015).
573:Birds in Tiny Cages
375:Birds in Tiny Cages
210:Stratford-upon-Avon
1055:"Barbara Comyns".
1015:Goodings, Lennie.
877:on 4 February 2021
853:The Vet's Daughter
613:The House of Dolls
549:The Vet's Daughter
517:Sisters by a River
462:The House of Dolls
431:The Clapham Wonder
424:was serialized in
421:The Vet's Daughter
391:The House of Dolls
363:The Vet's Daughter
328:Her second novel,
307:Sisters by a River
287:The Vet's Daughter
276:'s Section V with
266:Joseph Comyns Carr
96:The Vet's Daughter
82:English literature
1183:978-1-5261-7374-4
815:Dorril, Stephen.
622:978-1-916254-71-8
576:(Heinemann, 1964)
560:(Heinemann, 1960)
542:978-1-911547-84-6
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977:. Archived from
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663:"Black Monday".
589:The Juniper Tree
468:Death and legacy
454:The Juniper Tree
372:The Skin Chairs;
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43:27 December 1907
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1168:Further reading
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1059:. 31 July 1992.
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565:The Skin Chairs
507:
485:The Independent
472:Comyns died in
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319:Douglas Jerrold
254:
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190:Bidford-on-Avon
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155:
152:
149: 1945)
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46:Bidford-on-Avon
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1204:Barbara Comyns
1201:
1195:Barbara Comyns
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1189:External links
1187:
1186:
1185:
1173:Avril Horner:
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1088:
1077:. 16 July 1992
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956:. p. 843.
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900:. p. 107.
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871:www.philsp.com
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770:The New Yorker
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1019:. p. 80.
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933:. 6 July 2013
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629:Short stories
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315:Graham Greene
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282:Graham Greene
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1153:. Retrieved
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1119:. Retrieved
1115:
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1098:The Guardian
1097:
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1079:. Retrieved
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1050:
1038:. Retrieved
1034:
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983:. Retrieved
979:the original
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935:. Retrieved
930:
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906:
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891:
879:. Retrieved
875:the original
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773:. Retrieved
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230:Dylan Thomas
226:London Group
218:London Group
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194:Warwickshire
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58:(1992-07-14)
56:14 July 1992
18:
1235:1992 deaths
1230:1907 births
1081:19 February
985:27 February
937:25 February
881:25 February
775:25 February
387:A. S. Frere
309:in 1947 by
1224:Categories
801:1439127859
672:References
606:1916254721
410:Twickenham
278:Kim Philby
222:Rupert Lee
198:River Avon
184:Early life
70:Occupation
39:1907-12-27
1150:0028-7504
1057:The Times
975:Boundless
742:The Times
479:The Times
402:Andalusia
398:San Roque
383:Heinemann
358:Barcelona
1155:13 March
1121:13 March
665:Lilliput
658:Lilliput
651:Lilliput
644:Lilliput
637:Lilliput
414:Richmond
323:Lilliput
302:Lilliput
188:Born in
160:Children
1197:at the
1040:5 March
597:Mr. Fox
458:Mr. Fox
321:. Both
270:Iberian
258:Liberal
151:
143:
139:
130:
122:
118:
1181:
1148:
798:
620:
604:
540:
510:Novels
443:Virago
377:; and
313:while
252:Writer
204:Artist
172:(born
107:Spouse
99:(1959)
820:(PDF)
406:pound
354:Ibiza
145:(
141:
124:(
120:
78:Genre
1179:ISBN
1157:2024
1146:ISSN
1123:2024
1083:2020
1042:2021
987:2020
939:2020
883:2020
796:ISBN
777:2020
618:ISBN
602:ISBN
538:ISBN
488:and
280:and
232:and
53:Died
31:Born
1206:at
1035:TLS
697:doi
434:by
426:BBC
400:in
274:MI6
260:MP
1226::
1140:.
1114:.
1073:.
1033:.
973:.
962:^
929:.
869:.
843:^
768:.
732:^
710:^
691:.
680:^
482:,
456:,
449:.
438:.
416:.
370:;
366:;
349:.
192:,
147:m.
126:m.
1159:.
1125:.
1100:.
1085:.
1044:.
989:.
941:.
885:.
837:.
822:.
804:.
779:.
744:.
699::
624:)
608:)
544:)
163:2
41:)
37:(
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