Powys, John Cowper

Powys, John Cowper (pō`ĭs), 1872–1963, British author and lecturer. In addition to his widely admired novels Wolf Solent (1929), and A Glastonbury Romance (1932), Powys also wrote poetry and lectured on literature. His essays and criticisms, noted for their acute observations, include The Meaning of Culture (1929) and A Philosophy of Solitude (1933).

Bibliography

See his autobiography (1934); studies by H. P. Collins (1966) and G. Cavaliero (1973).

Powys was one of an extraordinary family of writers. His brother

Theodore Francis Powys, 1875–1953, was also a novelist, setting works such as Black Bryony (1923) and Mr. Weston's Good Wine (1927) in the Dorsetshire village where he lived. He also wrote a number of short stories.

Bibliography

See studies by H. Coombes (1960) and M. Buning (1986).

Another brother,

Llewelyn Powys, 1884–1939, was also an author. His rational yet poetic outlook is reflected in his writings, which include Black Laughter (1924) and Earth Memories (1938).

Bibliography

See his autobiographical The Verdict of Bridlegoose (1926) and Love and Death: An Imaginary Autobiography (1939). See also K. Hopkins, The Powys Brothers (1967) and study by M. T. Buning (1986)