Today marks the 30th anniversary of the death of author Christopher Isherwood.
He is most well known for penning the books ‘The Berlin Stories’, which was adapted into the musical ‘Cabaret’, and ‘A Single Man’, both which were made into successful films.
Isherwood came from an upper middle class background and was born on his family’s estate.
He studied at Cambridge but left without completing a degree. In his 20’s he became friends with the poet W.H Auden and the two were romantically involved.
Isherwood based ‘The Berlin Stories’ on his own experiences of living in Germany’s Winmar Republic in the 1930s. Here he indulged his love for other young men and met a German named Heinz Neddermeyer, who became his first great love.
Isherwood’s time in Berlin was dramatised in the biopic ‘Christopher and his Kind’ with Doctor Who actor Matt Smith portraying the writer.
Isherwood was close friends with the author E.M. Forster who served as it literary mentor.
The story of ‘A Single Man’ was also largely autobiographical; Isherwood immigrated to the United States before the outbreak of World War Two from the United Kingdom and lectured at a Los Angeles university and he also had an affinity for younger men.
In the USA he became friends with the writer Aldous Huxley, Truman Capote was also a close friend who admired Isherwood’s work, many people note that Capote’s most famous character Holly Golightly from ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ shares many attributed with Sally Bowles from ‘The Berlin Stories’.
Isherwood remained with his partner Don Bachardy, who was 30 years his junior, until he passed away on this day in 1986. Isherwood was 81 when he died.
Graeme Watson, with Joe Cassidy.
