Amis, Kingsley, 1922-

Kingsley Amis (1922-) is the author of seventeen novels, three collections of poetry, over twenty short stories, and ten books of social or literary criticism. He was born in London to William Robert and Rosa Annie Lucas Amis. He began school at Norbury College, then attended the City of London School until 1941, when he received a scholarship to St. John's College, Oxford. At St. John's Amis met Philip Larkin; both men were studying English Literature and remained close friends throughout their lives.

In 1942 Amis was commissioned as an officer in the Royal Signal Corps. He served in the British Army for three years in France, Belgium, and West Germany. He returned to St. John's in 1945 and received his degree in 1947. Despite the rejection of his research degree thesis English Non-Dramatic Poetry, 1850-1900 and the Victorian Reading Public, Amis was able to secure a post as lecturer in English at University College at Swansea within a year. Amis remained at Swansea for 12 years, then became a fulltime writer.

Since the beginning of his career in 1947 Amis has continued to write and publish poetry and essays. His best known work, however, is his prose fiction. In 1954 Amis published his first novel, Lucky Jim, to great popular and critical acclaim. The novel earned him the Somerset Maugham award for fiction and a place in a group of young writers, which included Iris Murdoch and John Osborne, whom the critics labeled Angry Young Men.

While Amis made his reputation with the satiric fiction of his early novels such as Lucky Jim, That Uncertain Feeling (1956), and Take a Girl Like You (1960), in his 48 year career Amis has written over 40 books in a wide range of genres including mysteries, ghost stories, science fiction, social commentaries, literary studies, and memoirs.

From the guide to the Kingsley Amis Collection TXRC95-A95., 1933-1968, (Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, University of Texas at Austin)