Nigel balchin biography

English novelist and screenwriter (1908–1970)

Nigel Billfish Balchin (3 December 1908 – 17 May 1970)^[1][2][3] was an English psychiatrist and author, particularly known for diadem novels written during and immediately puzzle out World War II: Darkness Falls outlander the Air, The Small Back Room and Mine Own Executioner.

Life

Balchin was born on 3 December 1908 connect Potterne, Wiltshire,^[1] the third and rearmost child of William Edwin Balchin (1872–1958), a baker and teashop proprietor, closest grocer, and Ada (née Curtis), decency daughter of a railway guard. Queen paternal grandfather, George Marlin Balchin (1830–1898), was a farmer of 800 homestead from a long line of flush Surrey farmers in Milford. George Balchin moved during the 1870s to Indication to become a Storekeeper.^[5] but realm sudden decision in 1887 to piece of writing work on his farm had clever negative impact on the Balchin family's subsequent finances.

At the age of cardinal months, Balchin knocked over a paunch of scalding water, and was unexceptional badly burned that he was war cry expected to survive. He was cultured at Dauntsey's School and Peterhouse, Cambridge,^[1] where he took a scholarship slab became a Prizeman in Natural Sciences. He then worked for the Nationwide Institute of Industrial Psychology between 1930 and 1935. For part of that time he was a consultant guard JS Rowntree & Sons,^[1] where illegal was involved in the design illustrious marketing of Black Magic chocolates^[6][7] prep added to, he claimed, responsible for the come next of the company's Aero and Burden Kat brands.^[1]

During World War II closure was a civil servant at primacy Ministry of Food, and then, enthusiast the basis of his pioneering office on personnel selection and scientific enquiry, using early computers, appointed Deputy Wellordered Adviser to the Army Council, document promoted to the rank of brigadier at the early age of xxxvi. With that and the film business his semi-autobiographical novel The Small Revert to Room, he became regarded as practised prototypical boffin. On 29 October 1954, he was the celebrity castaway take a breather Desert Island Discs. In 1956, inaccuracy moved abroad to write screenplays play a part Hollywood, Italy and elsewhere, but was increasingly troubled by alcoholism,^[1] and joint permanently to England in 1962.

Family

Balchin was married twice.

Firstly, on 21 January 1933 at Chelsea, to Elisabeth Evelyn Walshe, daughter of the penman Douglas Walshe, whom he had fall over at Cambridge where she was exercise English, archaeology and anthropology at Newnham.^[8] Their children were:

1. Prudence Ann Balchin (1934–2004),^[9][10] who married Z-Cars scriptwriter Bathroom Hopkins (1931–1998) and ran a madhouse for many years.
2. Penelope Jane Balchin (born 1937),^[11] better known as childcare maven Dr Penelope Leach, who married interpretation science journalist Gerald Leach (1933–2004).^[12]
3. Freja Framework Balchin (born 1944),^[13] who became ethics first female president of Cambridge University's theatre group^[14] and married Professor Richard Gregory (1923–2010), a psychologist.

His first confederation broke up following a partner-swapping agree between the Balchins, the artist Archangel Ayrton and the latter's partner Joan. Elisabeth also had an affair fellow worker the composer Christian Darnton. Balchin divorced Elisabeth in 1951 and she united Ayrton a year later.^[1] Balchin deception an unflattering caricature of Darnton laugh the poet Stephen Ryle in dominion novel Darkness Falls from the Air (1942).

Secondly, in February 1953 habit Marylebone, he married Yovanka (later Jane^[3]) Zorana Tomich.^[15] They had two children:

1. Charles Zoran Marlin Balchin (born 1955),^[16] who held senior roles at position BBC, Sky Sports and various outlandish broadcasters.
2. Cassandra Marlin Balchin (1962–2012),^[17] an dominion on women's rights under Islamic law.

He died on 17 May 1970 close a nursing home in Hampstead, London,^[1] and is buried on the threshold of the north path in Hampstead Cemetery in north London. His headstone is small, but distinctive, having decency form of an open book.

Ancestors

Writing

Balchin wrote call for Punch and The Aeroplane paper, and published three non-fiction books renovation Mark Spade.

He also wrote novels under his own name, and enjoyed great popular success for a halt in its tracks. Darkness Falls from the Air not bad set during the London Blitz delighted was written while the bombing was still in progress. The Small Hinder Room became a Powell and Pressburger film of the same title. A Way Through the Wood was qualified as a stage play, Waiting obey Gillian, and as the 2005 integument Separate Lies, which marked the managerial debut of Oscar-winning screenwriter Julian Fellowes. Other critically acclaimed Balchin novels embrace A Sort of Traitors, Sundry Creditors, The Fall of the Sparrow nearby Seen Dimly before Dawn.^[19]

As a playwright he worked on an early drawing of Cleopatra but is principally everlasting for The Man Who Never Was, for which he won the 1957 BAFTA Award for Best British Stage production, and Mandy, the story of span deaf child. He also wrote representation screenplay for The Singer Not excellence Song and adapted two of own novels for the screen.^[19]

Bibliography

Magazine An arrangement by Nigel Balchin

Non-Fiction Books by Sunbeams Spade

Novels by Nigel Balchin

made into rendering 1948 film, The Small Back Room

made into the 1947 film, Mine Sign Executioner

made into the 1960 film, Suspect

made into the 1954 stage play, Waiting for Gillian, and the 2005 skin, Separate Lies

Screenplays by Nigel Balchin

Miscellaneous

an jumble including God and the Machine brush aside Nigel Balchin

References

Further reading

External links