Alan Brien (12 March 1925 – 23 May 2008) was an English journalist best known for his novel ''

Lenin Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov. ( 1870 – 21 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin,. was a Russian revolutionary, politician, and political theorist. He served as the first and founding head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 to 19 ...

''. This took the form of a fictional diary charting

Vladimir Lenin Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov. ( 1870 – 21 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin,. was a Russian revolutionary, politician, and political theorist. He served as the first and founding head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 to 19 ...

's life from the death of his father to shortly before his own demise in 1924.

Biography

Brien was born in Sunderland and educated at Bede Grammar School, and

Jesus College, Oxford Jesus College (in full: Jesus College in the University of Oxford of Queen Elizabeth's Foundation) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship St ...

. He served in the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. During his career in journalism, Brien worked as a theatre and film critic, columnist and foreign correspondent for a variety of publications, most notably ''

The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, whi ...

'', ''

Punch Punch commonly refers to: * Punch (combat), a strike made using the hand closed into a fist * Punch (drink), a wide assortment of drinks, non-alcoholic or alcoholic, generally containing fruit or fruit juice Punch may also refer to: Places * Pun ...

'', the ''

New Statesman The ''New Statesman'' is a British political and cultural magazine published in London. Founded as a weekly review of politics and literature on 12 April 1913, it was at first connected with Sidney and Beatrice Webb and other leading members ...

'' and ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the w ...

''. During the 1960s he appeared on TV as a regular on "Three After Six". The three in question were Benny Green,

Dee Wells Alberta Constance Wells, also known as Alberta Chapman, Dee Wells, Alberta Constance Ayer, Lady Ayer (19 March 1925 – 24 June 2003), was an American journalist, novelist, and broadcaster. Life Alberta Constance Chapman was born in Providence ...

and Brien. The programme would discuss the day's news and current affairs.

Personal life and death

Brien died on 23 May 2008, survived by his fourth wife, the writer Jane Hill, with whom he had shared an ancient cottage in Highgate Village.Obituary
The Times His earlier wives included the British journalist and

feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...

writer

Jill Tweedie Jill Sheila Tweedie (22 May 1936 – 12 November 1993) was a British feminist, writer and broadcaster. She was educated at the independent Croydon High School in Croydon, South London. She wrote a column in ''The Guardian'' on feminist issues (19 ...

References

External links

Obituary: ''Guardian''
1925 births 2008 deaths People from Sunderland Writers from Tyne and Wear English male journalists British theatre critics English film critics Alumni of Jesus College, Oxford People educated at Bede Grammar School for Boys Royal Air Force personnel of World War II English male novelists 20th-century English novelists 20th-century English male writers {{UK-journalist-stub