When I heard that British historian A.N. Wilson was going to be talking at the WORD Christchurch Autumn Season this month I oohed and aaahed, and inwardly danced the conga. Nothing — short of A.N. Wilson himself requesting me to leave this event for being far too bright-eyed, enthusiastic, and downright scary — could make me miss this evening.
A.N. Wilson: Monday 15 May 7.30pm
- More about A.N. Wilson: Bringing history to life: Monday 15 May
- Find books by A. N. Wilson in our collection.
A.N. Wilson is one of the historians who first sparked my interest in biography and history. His beautiful biography of C.S. Lewis was written with an honesty and empathy that left me with a truer sense of the man. His depiction of a troubled and less than perfect individual was contrary to many previous accounts of Lewis, which portrayed the beloved creator of Narnia as an almost patron saint, living by the perfect standards Christian historians envisaged for him.
Wilson cut to the chase but with a sympathy and affection for his subject. He touchingly described the demands made on Lewis by Mrs Moore, and the loneliness that dogged him through events such as the death of his mother, and his brothers struggles with alcoholism. Wilson's 'humanisation' of Lewis encouraged me to investigate more and read some other sadly under-read works by Lewis (such as the very moving A Grief Observed), a sure mark of a very great biographer.
The astonishingly prolific A.N. Wilson has written many other biographies including a landmark biography on Leo Tolstoy, a fascinating study of Queen Victoria (which has recently been adapted for television), and Hitler: A short Biography. Wilson unfailingly succeeds in making his subjects come to life with a poignancy and finesse that make him a joy to read.
While Wilson has had his struggles with Christianity over the years (rather like C.S. Lewis himself), it hasn't stopped him from also writing moving and valuable accounts of the lives of Jesus and St Paul. There is a richness and complexity to his writing that informs the reader, but also makes them question things. Theology is one of the most complex subjects for an author to tackle, and being able to follow Wilson's own complicated spiritual journey through his work makes for fascinating, relatable reading.
Wilson has also received considerable attention for his non-fiction works such as The Victorians and The Elizabethans.
In addition, he is the author of such popular novels as Dante in Love and Winnie and Wolf. One of Wilson's most praised novels My Name is Legion relates what happens when a newspaper begins a smear campaign on an Anglican missionary, seeking to overthrow a corrupt African regime. Wilson takes a hilarious but brutal look at the morals of modern day Britain - its people, politics, and press, and does so with an elegance and subtlety that make his work compulsive reading.
It seems that Wilson is able to adapt to any format and genre having also written a children's story, presented several television series including The Genius of Josiah Wedgwood (one of Wilson's own heroes), and contributed to publications such as 'The Times Literary Supplement' and 'The New Statesman'.
The ultimate 'man of letters', Wilson is a consistently compelling writer with an awe-inspiring literary oeuvre. His session at WORD Christchurch Autumn Festival promises to be a fascinating evening. Wilson will be discussing his impressive career with arts critic Christopher Moore, and his most recent works Resolution: a novel of the boy who sailed with Captain Cook and a biography on Queen Elizabeth II.
I'll see you there on May 15th (and yes, I am counting down the days...)
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