In glad or sorry hours

by Alastair Niven

Memoirs

256 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2021

About the author

Alastair Neil Robertson Niven was an English literary scholar and author. He wrote books on D. H. Lawrence, Raja Rao, and Mulk Raj Anand, and over the years served as Director General of The Africa Centre, Director of Literature at the Arts Council of Great Britain and of the British Council, a principal of Cumberland Lodge, and president of English PEN. In 2021, Niven was chosen as the recipient of the Benson Medal from the Royal Society of Literature, awarded for exceptional contribution to literature.

Reviews

[John Stotesbury · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having known Alastair for over 40 years, it was a real pleasure to read his newly-published memoirs, which trace the course of his personal and professional life over the course of more than seven decades. The book proved to be constantly interesting not least because his account of his life has helped me to understand better the links between so many of his activities and the various ways in which he has dealt with them. His narrative is extremely readable, full of self-effacing humour that nevertheless permits the sheer energy and value of his many endeavours to shine through. Thoroughly recommendable.