A Scribbler in Soho: A Celebration of Auberon Waugh

by Auberon Waugh, Naim Attallah (Commentary)

Very Good, 1st Edition, Quartet 2019. Thick Royal 8vo. 341pp. New, appears unopened and unread, very good clean tight sound square, no bookplate, inscription or marks of any kind. Bound in bright silver letter full black cloth, together with original unclipped portrait pictorial dustwrapper very gently rubbed to spine.

341 pages, Hardcover

First published January 24, 2019

About the author

Auberon Alexander Waugh was a British journalist and novelist, and eldest son of the novelist Evelyn Waugh. He was widely known by his nickname "Bron”.

Waugh's career spanned journalism, fiction, and editing; he authored five novels, including The Foxglove Saga (1960) and Consider the Lilies (1968), and contributed political columns to outlets such as The Spectator from 1967 and The Daily Telegraph. His most enduring satirical work was the "Diary" column in Private Eye, which he wrote from 1970 to 1986, often provoking outrage with its parodies and polemics. From the 1980s until his death, he edited Literary Review, shaping its profile through his editorial leadership and "From the Pulpit" essays.

Waugh's defining characteristics included an acerbic wit and a penchant for vendettas, leading to notable controversies such as a 1970 libel suit against The Spectator that he won and a 1979 parliamentary candidacy for the fringe Dog Lovers' Party. Despite health setbacks, including a spinal injury from National Service in 1958, he maintained a prolific output, earning two What the Papers Say awards for his influence in British journalism. His memoirs, Will This Do? (1991), encapsulated his irreverent worldview

Reviews

[Richard Thomas]

This is a very good book which looks at Auberon Waugh’s life through an anthology of his writings. It’s woven into the whole with memories of him and his influence to remind those who admired his work what we have missed since his death. Naim Attallah adds what I suppose is a commentary both on Auberon Waugh and his work with him. I enjoyed it all and I will return to it again.

[Mike]

Excellent.