118 Facts About Olivia Manning

Olivia Mary Manning was a British novelist, poet, writer, and reviewer.

Olivia Manning often wrote from her personal experience, though her books demonstrate strengths in imaginative writing.

Olivia Manning's books are widely admired for her artistic eye and vivid descriptions of place.

Olivia Manning attended art school and moved to London, where her first serious novel, The Wind Changes, was published in 1937.

Olivia Manning's experiences formed the basis for her best-known work, the six novels making up The Balkan Trilogy and The Levant Trilogy, known collectively as Fortunes of War.

Olivia Manning returned to London after the war and lived there until her death in 1980; she wrote poetry, short stories, novels, non-fiction, reviews, and drama for the British Broadcasting Corporation.

Olivia Manning's constant grumbling about all manner of subjects is reflected in her nickname, "Olivia Moaning", but Smith never wavered in his role as his wife's principal supporter and encourager, confident that her talent would ultimately be recognised.

Olivia Manning's books have received limited critical attention; as during her life, opinions are divided, particularly about her characterisation and portrayal of other cultures.

Olivia Manning's works tend to minimise issues of gender and are not easily classified as feminist literature.

Olivia Manning's works are critical of war and racism, and colonialism and imperialism; they examine themes of displacement and physical and emotional alienation.

Olivia Manning was born in North End, Portsmouth on 2 March 1908.

Olivia Manning's father, Oliver Manning, was a naval officer who rose from naval trainee to lieutenant commander despite a lack of formal schooling.

Olivia Manning adored her womanising father, who entertained others by singing Gilbert and Sullivan and reciting poetry he had memorised during long sea voyages.

Olivia Manning was educated privately at a small dame school before moving to the north of Ireland in 1916, the first of several extended periods spent there while her father was at sea.

Olivia Manning's mother discouraged such pursuits, and confiscated material she thought unsuitable; when she found her daughter reading the Times Literary Supplement she scolded that "young men do not like women who read papers like that", and that Manning should focus on marketable job skills, such as typing.

Indeed, when financial circumstances forced Olivia Manning to leave school at sixteen, she worked as a typist and spent some time as a junior in a beauty salon.

Olivia Manning seemed to be poised for a career as an artist, but she had meanwhile continued her interest in literature, and at the age of twenty determined instead to be a writer.

Olivia Manning's first published works were three serialised detective novels, Rose of Rubies, Here is Murder and The Black Scarab which appeared in the Portsmouth News beginning in 1929 under the pseudonym Jacob Morrow.

Olivia Manning did not acknowledge these books until the 1960s; their publication dates might have given away her age, a secret she kept even from her husband.

Olivia Manning wrote two literary novels, neither of which was accepted for publication.

Miles, a well-connected literary adviser and translator in his late thirties, invited Olivia Manning to visit if she were ever in London.

Olivia Manning, feeling stifled in Portsmouth, had already made efforts to move to the capital, but her meeting with Miles made her more determined.

Olivia Manning succeeded in obtaining a typing job at the department store Peter Jones, and, despite opposition from her mother, moved into a run-down bed-sit in Chelsea.

Short of food and money, Olivia Manning spent long hours writing after work.

Olivia Manning later recalled that "sex for both of them was the motivating charm of life".

Olivia Manning recalled this as "one of the happiest seasons" of her life.

Olivia Manning lost her job at Peter Jones, moved to a well-paid job at the Medici Society, but was sacked when she refused her boss's order to give up novel-writing in the evening so as to conserve her energy for the day job.

When he met Olivia Manning, Smith was on leave from his British Council position as a lecturer in Romania.

Olivia Manning had diligently prepared himself for the introduction to Manning by reading her works, and felt that her book The Wind Changes showed "signs of genius".

Olivia Manning described Manning as a jolie laide, possessing lovely hair, hands, eyes, and skin though an overlong nose, and fell in love at first sight.

Olivia Manning was less certain of the relationship, but Smith quickly moved into her flat, proposing in bed a few weeks later.

Olivia Manning spent her days writing; her main project was a book about Henry Morton Stanley and his search for Emin Pasha, but she maintained an intimate correspondence with Stevie Smith, which was full of Bloomsbury gossip and intrigue.

Olivia Manning undertook a dangerous journalistic assignment to interview the former Romanian Prime Minister Iuliu Maniu in Cluj, Transylvania, at the time full of German troops, and soon to be transferred by Romania to Hungary as part of the Second Vienna Award of August 1940, imposed by the Germans and Italians.

In contrast, Olivia Manning was reticent and uncomfortable in social settings and remained in the background.

Olivia Manning acted, in her own words, as a "camp-follower", trailing after Smith as he went from bar to bar, often choosing to go home early and alone.

Olivia Manning was subject to anxieties bordering on paranoia throughout her life.

Olivia Manning arrived safely, bringing a rucksack, a suitcase full of books, but no appropriate clothes for work.

Nevertheless, this was a happy time for Olivia Manning; "Romania is abroad," said Olivia Manning, "but Greece is home".

In spite of early successes against invading Italian forces, by April 1941 the country was at risk of invasion from the Germans; in a later poem Olivia Manning recalled the "horror and terror of defeat" of a people she had grown to love.

Mrs Edwards had brought with her a hat box full of expensive Parisian hats, which Olivia Manning kept placing in the passageway outside the cabin, and from whence Mrs Edwards kept returning it.

Olivia Manning invited them to stay at his Garden City flat that overlooked the embassy.

Olivia Manning was constantly anxious about illness and was indeed frequently unwell.

Olivia Manning was incensed that the British Council did not immediately find a job for Smith, whom she considered one of their most brilliant teachers.

Olivia Manning's characters were often based on real people though she never drew precisely from life.

Olivia Manning's mocking portrait of the British Council lecturer Professor Lord Pinkrose was loosely based on Lord Dunsany, sent to occupy the Byron Chair of English at Athens University in 1940.

Olivia Manning resented that Amy Smart, wife of Walter Smart and frequent patron of artists, poets, and writers in Cairo, paid so little attention to her and Smith; she later took revenge in a similar way.

The Germans regularly bombed the city, and the raids terrified Olivia Manning, who irritated Smith and Liddell by insisting that all three descend to the air raid shelter whenever the sirens wailed.

In subsequent reprintings, the name "Reggie Smith" was replaced by "Filmer Smith", veiling the allusion, but Olivia Manning found out and was furious.

The founders, like Olivia Manning, maintained a strong attachment to Greece rather than an artistic and intellectual engagement with Egypt.

Olivia Manning described her impressions of the Cairo poetry scene in "Poets in Exile" in Cyril Connolly's magazine Horizon.

Olivia Manning defended the writers from the claim of a London reviewer that they were "out of touch", suggesting that their work was strengthened by their access to other cultures, languages and writers.

Olivia Manning's review was much critiqued by those featured, including Durrell, who objected to Spencer's poetry being praised at his expense.

In 1942 Smith was appointed as Controller of English and Arabic Programming at the Palestine Broadcasting Service in Jerusalem; the job was to begin later but in early July, with the German troops rapidly advancing on Egypt, he persuaded Olivia Manning to go ahead to Jerusalem to "prepare the way".

Olivia Manning continued to work on her book about Stanley and Emin Pasha, and took advantage of army drivers who were willing to give lifts to civilians; she visited Palestine, Petra and Damascus, gathering material for future works.

In 1944, Olivia Manning became pregnant; the couple were overjoyed and Olivia Manning relaxed, becoming less critical of others, including her own mother, with whom she had long had a difficult relationship.

Grief-stricken, Olivia Manning became paranoid, constantly afraid that Smith would be assassinated.

Olivia Manning was unable to have further children and in the future directed her maternal feelings towards animals, especially cats.

Olivia Manning was identified as a Communist spy by MI5 in 1947 and placed under surveillance.

Olivia Manning did not share her husband's political beliefs, but was quite aware that their phone was being tapped and feared that his open support for Communism would lead to him being sacked from the BBC.

Olivia Manning worked for the BBC; she wrote scripts for radio including adaptations of novels by George Eliot, Arnold Bennett and Ada Leverson.

Olivia Manning completed her book on Stanley and Emin Pasha, titled The Remarkable Expedition in the UK and The Reluctant Rescue in the US, which was published in 1947, and subsequently reissued in 1985.

Olivia Manning's insecurities showed in other ways: she was very anxious about finances, and always alert for ways to make and save money.

At parties, Smith would regularly ask other women if they were interested in extramarital encounters, while Olivia Manning claimed to have had affairs with both William Gerhardie and Henry Green, and engaged in an unrequited pursuit of her lodger, Tony Richardson.

Olivia Manning never paid undue attention to his infidelities, usually responding, "you know what Reggie's like".

Olivia Manning worked on an Irish travel book, The Dreaming Shore, which drew on her Anglo-Irish upbringing, but proved "a millstone" as it required multiple expensive journeys to Ireland.

Olivia Manning continued the series of publications with School for Love, published in 1951.

Olivia Manning supplemented her book writing by reviewing for The Spectator, The Sunday Times, The Observer, Punch and others, as well as making occasional contributions to the Palestine Post.

The book was not well-reviewed, and as was frequently the case, Olivia Manning felt slighted, feeling that she did not get the reviews she deserved.

Such an author was Iris Murdoch, with whom Olivia Manning shared an interest in flying saucers and an uneasy friendship that was tinged with jealousy at the younger Murdoch's greater success.

Olivia Manning knew that she was spiteful, but could not help herself, frequently critiquing writer friends to others.

Olivia Manning consistently praised and admired Ivy Compton-Burnett to whom she had been introduced in 1945, and whose friendship she greatly valued.

Olivia Manning complained about her publisher Heinemann and her lack of recognition from her peers: Anthony Powell called her "the world's worst grumbler", and the publisher remembered that she was "never an easy author to handle".

In 1955 Olivia Manning published The Doves of Venus, which drew on her experiences in London in the 1930s; the two friends, Ellie Parsons and Nancy Claypole, bore similarities to Olivia Manning and Stevie Smith.

The reviews were generally favourable, but Olivia Manning was not satisfied.

Much time and focus were given to animals, especially the Siamese cats of which Olivia Manning was especially fond.

Olivia Manning was very concerned about the health and comfort of her pets, taking them on visits to friends, along with hot water bottles for them in case the temperature dropped.

Olivia Manning was a committed supporter of organisations combating animal cruelty.

In December 1956, Olivia Manning published My Husband Cartwright, a series of twelve sketches about Smith that had originally appeared in Punch.

Olivia Manning described the books as long chapters of an autobiography, and early versions were written in the first person, though there was significant fictionalisation.

Olivia Manning was a writer by profession, while her creation was not.

The first book in the trilogy, The Great Fortune, received mixed reviews, but subsequent volumes, The Spoilt City and Friends and Heroes were generally well-received; Anthony Burgess announced that Olivia Manning was "among the most accomplished of our women novelists" and comparisons were made to Lawrence Durrell, Graham Greene, Evelyn Waugh and Anthony Powell.

The couple subsequently lived apart for long periods, as Olivia Manning rejected the idea of moving to Ireland.

In 1974 Olivia Manning adapted two of Arnold Bennett's works into an eight part BBC Radio play: Denry - The Adventures Of A Card.

Olivia Manning was always a close observer of life, and gifted with a photographic memory.

Early in 1975 Olivia Manning began The Danger Tree, which for a time she described as "The Fourth Part of the Balkan Trilogy"; in the event, it became the first novel in The Levant Trilogy, continuing the story of the Pringles in the Middle East.

Olivia Manning, fascinated by sibling relationships, and remembering the death of her own brother, examined the relationship between Simon and his elder brother, Hugo.

Olivia Manning felt inadequate in her ability to write about soldiers and military scenes; initial reviewers agreed, finding her writing unconvincing and improbable, though subsequent reviewers have been considerably kinder.

Olivia Manning had long been resentful at the Smarts' failure to include her and Smith in their artistic circle in Cairo.

Olivia Manning based the character of Aidan Pratt on the actor, writer, and poet Stephen Haggard, whom she had known in Jerusalem.

The Danger Tree was a considerable critical success, and though Olivia Manning was disappointed yet again that her novel was not shortlisted for the Booker prize, The Yorkshire Post selected it as their Best Novel of 1977.

Olivia Manning was deeply affected by the sudden death in 1977 of Jerry Slattery, her lover and confidant for more than a quarter of a century.

Olivia Manning began work on the final novel in The Levant Trilogy, The Sum of Things, in which Harriet agrees to sail home to the UK, but having said goodbye to Guy, changes her mind.

The Sum of Things was published posthumously, for on 4 July 1980 Olivia Manning suffered a severe stroke while visiting friends in the Isle of Wight.

Olivia Manning had long predicted that the frequently tardy Smith would be late for her funeral, and he almost was.

Olivia Manning was cremated and her ashes buried at Billingham Manor on the Isle of Wight.

Olivia Manning had long complained about the lack of recognition she had received as a writer and was not consoled when her husband and friends responded that her talent would be recognised, and her works read for years to come.

The posthumous popularity of Fortunes of War notwithstanding, most of Olivia Manning's books are rarely read and have received little critical attention.

Olivia Manning's plots are often described as journeys, odysseys and quests in both literal and metaphorical senses.

Olivia Manning's best known works, the six books comprising Fortunes of War, have been described as "the most underrated novels of the twentieth century" and the author as "among the greatest practitioners of 20th-century roman-fleuve".

Olivia Manning wrote reviews, radio adaptations and scripts and several non-fiction books.

Olivia Manning published two collections of short stories, the well-reviewed Growing Up and A Romantic Hero and Other Stories ; the latter included eight stories from the earlier volume, and is imbued with a sense of mortality.

In contrast to other women's war fiction of the period, Olivia Manning's works do not recount life on the home front.

Wars, in Olivia Manning's view, are battles for place and influence, and "with her range of images and illusions, Olivia Manning reminds us that wars over land have been a constant".

Olivia Manning's books do not celebrate British heroism nor the innocence of civilians, emphasising instead that the causes and dangers of war come as much from within as from without, with the gravest threats coming from fellow Britons.

Olivia Manning's books serve as an indictment of war and its horrors; William Gerhardie noted in 1954 of Artist among the Missing that "it is war seen in a compass so narrowed down that the lens scorches and all but ignites the paper".

Olivia Manning's works take a strong stance against British imperialism, and are harshly critical of racism, anti-Semitism and oppression at the end of the British colonial era.

Phyllis Lassner, who has written extensively on Olivia Manning's writing from a colonial and post-colonial perspective, notes how even sympathetic characters are not excused their complicity as colonisers; the responses of the Pringles assert "the vexed relationship between their own status as colonial exiles and that of the colonised" and native Egyptians, though given very little direct voice in The Levant Trilogy, nevertheless assert subjectivity for their country.

Olivia Manning explores these themes not only in her major novels set in Europe and the Middle East, but in her Irish fiction, The Wind Changes and eight short stories which were mostly written early in her career.

Olivia Manning has been noted for her direct and early focus on the impact of the end of colonial rule.

Olivia Manning's travels brought her into direct contact with the far worse plight of other war refugees, including Jewish asylum-seekers who were leaving Romania aboard the Struma.

Exile had its rewards for literary refugees such as Olivia Manning, offering exposure to different cultures and "the sense of a greater, past civilisation", as she described in her 1944 review of British poetry.

Olivia Manning's writing reflects her deep concern for the realities of most refugees, who are portrayed as "a degraded and demoralised Other", challenging complacent Western notions of stability and nationality.

Olivia Manning has been classified as an Orientalist writer, whose depictions of cultures frequently emphasise exoticism and alien landscape.

Olivia Manning's books are not easily classified as a part of the feminist canon.

Elizabeth Bowen remarked that Olivia Manning had "an almost masculine outfit in the way of experience" that influenced her writing about women and the war.

Olivia Manning viewed herself not as a female writer, but as a writer who happened to be a woman, and early in her career she obscured her gender using a pseudonym and initials.

Olivia Manning found it easier to create male characters, and in general her novels tend to minimise differences in gender, writing about people rather than women in particular.

In contrast, Treglown hypothesised that it reflected Olivia Manning's ongoing grieving for her stillborn child.