John Boynton Priestley (; 13 September 1894 – 14 August 1984) was an English novelist, playwright, screenwriter, broadcaster and social commentator. His

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...

background is reflected in much of his fiction, notably in ''

The Good Companions ''The Good Companions'' is a novel by the English author J. B. Priestley. Written in 1929, it follows the fortunes of a concert party on a tour of England. It is Priestley's most famous novel and established him as a national figure. It won ...

'' (1929), which first brought him to wide public notice. Many of his plays are structured around a

time slip A time slip is a plot device in fantasy and science fiction in which a person, or group of people, seem to travel through time by unknown means. The idea of a time slip was used in 19th century fantasy, an early example being Washington Irving ...

, and he went on to develop a new theory of time, with different dimensions that link past, present and future. In 1940 he broadcast a series of short

propaganda Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded ...

radio talks, which were credited with strengthening civilian morale during the

Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain, also known as the Air Battle for England (german: die Luftschlacht um England), was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defende ...

. In the following years his left-wing beliefs brought him into conflict with the government and influenced the development of the

welfare state A welfare state is a form of government in which the state (or a well-established network of social institutions) protects and promotes the economic and social well-being of its citizens, based upon the principles of equal opportunity, equitabl ...

Early life

Priestley was born on 13 September 1894 at 34 Mannheim Road, Manningham, which he described as an "extremely respectable" suburb of

Bradford Bradford is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Bradford district in West Yorkshire, England. The city is in the Pennines' eastern foothills on the banks of the Bradford Beck. Bradford had a population of 349,561 at the 2011 ...

. His father, Jonathan Priestley (1868–1924), was a headmaster. His mother, Emma (''née'' Holt; 1865–1896), was a mill girl. She died when Priestley was just two years old and his father remarried four years later.Lincoln Konkle, ''J. B. Priestley'', in British Playwrights, 1880–1956: A Research and Production Sourcebook, by William W. Demastes, Katherine E. Kelly;

Greenwood Press Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. (GPG), also known as ABC-Clio/Greenwood (stylized ABC-CLIO/Greenwood), is an educational and academic publisher (middle school through university level) which is today part of ABC-Clio. Established in 1967 as Gr ...

, 1996 Priestley was educated at Belle Vue Grammar School, which he left at 16 to work as a junior clerk at Helm & Co., a wool firm in the

Swan Arcade Swan Arcade were a British folk music vocal group formed in 1970. "A leading light of the British folk revival" they sang a wide variety of songs, including blues, pop and rock and roll, as well as traditional folk music, mostly performed a cap ...

. During his years at Helm & Co. (1910–1914) he started writing at night and had articles published in local and London newspapers. He was to draw on memories of Bradford in many of the works he wrote after he had moved south, including ''

Bright Day ''Bright Day'' is a novel by J. B. Priestley, first published in 1946. One of his better-known works, it combines nostalgia for the northern England that existed before the First World War with an optimism inspired by the conclusion of the Sec ...

'' and ''

When We Are Married ''When We Are Married'' is a comedy by the English dramatist, J. B. Priestley, written in 1934. It was first performed in London at the St. Martin's Theatre, London on 11 October 1938, and transferred to the larger Prince's Theatre in March 1 ...

''. As an old man he deplored the destruction by developers of Victorian buildings in Bradford such as the Swan Arcade, where he had his first job. Priestley served in the British army during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, volunteering for the

Duke of Wellington's Regiment The Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, forming part of the King's Division. In 1702, Colonel George Hastings, 8th Earl of Huntingdon, was authorised to raise a new regiment, which he di ...

on 7 September 1914 and being posted to the 10th Battalion in France as a Lance-Corporal on 26 August 1915. He was badly wounded in June 1916 when he was buried alive by a trench mortar. He spent many months in military hospitals and convalescent establishments and on 26 January 1918 was commissioned as an officer in the

Devonshire Regiment The Devonshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that served under various titles and served in many wars and conflicts from 1685 to 1958, such as the Second Boer War, the First World War and the Second World War. In 1958 ...

and posted back to France in the late summer. As he describes in his literary reminiscences, ''Margin Released'', he suffered from the effects of poison gas and then supervised German prisoners of war before being demobilised in early 1919. After his military service Priestley received a university education at

Trinity Hall, Cambridge Trinity Hall (formally The College or Hall of the Holy Trinity in the University of Cambridge) is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. It is the fifth-oldest surviving college of the university, having been founded in 1350 by ...

. By the age of 30 he had established a reputation as an essayist and critic. His novel ''

Benighted Benighted is a French deathgrind band formed in Saint-Étienne in 1998. The group comprises vocalist Julien Truchan, guitarists Emmanuel Dalle and Fabien "Fack" Desgardins, bassist Pierre Arnoux and drummer Kevin Paradis, Benighted have relea ...

'' (1927) was adapted into the

James Whale James Whale (22 July 1889 – 29 May 1957) was an English film director, theatre director and actor, who spent the greater part of his career in Cinema of the United States, Hollywood. He is best remembered for several horror films: ''Fran ...

film '' The Old Dark House'' (1932); the novel was published under the film's name in the United States.

Career

Priestley's first major success came with a novel, ''

'' (1929), which earned him the

James Tait Black Memorial Prize The James Tait Black Memorial Prizes are literary prizes awarded for literature written in the English language. They, along with the Hawthornden Prize, are Britain's oldest literary awards. Based at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, Unit ...

for fiction and made him a national figure. His next novel, ''

Angel Pavement ''Angel Pavement'' is a novel by J. B. Priestley, published in 1930 after the enormous success of ''The Good Companions'' (1929). It is a social panorama of the city of London, seen largely through the eyes of the employees of the firm Twigg & ...

'' (1930), further established him as a successful novelist. However some critics were less than complimentary about his work and Priestley threatened legal action against

Graham Greene Henry Graham Greene (2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) was an English writer and journalist regarded by many as one of the leading English novelists of the 20th century. Combining literary acclaim with widespread popularity, Greene acquir ...

for what he took to be a defamatory portrait of him in the novel ''

Stamboul Train ''Stamboul Train'' is the second significant novel by Graham Greene. Set on a train journey from Ostend to Istanbul, the book was renamed ''Orient Express'' when it was published in the United States. The novel appeared in 1932 and was Greene's ...

'' (1932). In 1934 he published the travelogue ''

English Journey ''English Journey'' is an account by J. B. Priestley of his travels in England which was published in 1934. Commissioned by publisher Victor Gollancz to write a study of contemporary England, Priestley recounts his travels around England in 1933 ...

'', an account of what he saw and heard while travelling through the country in the depths of the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

. Priestley is today seen as having a prejudice against the Irish, as is shown in ''English Journey'': "A great many speeches have been made and books written on the subject of what England has done to Ireland... I should be interested to hear a speech and read a book or two on the subject of what Ireland has done to England... if we do have an

Irish Republic The Irish Republic ( ga, Poblacht na hÉireann or ) was an unrecognised revolutionary state that declared its independence from the United Kingdom in January 1919. The Republic claimed jurisdiction over the whole island of Ireland, but by ...

as our neighbour, and it is found possible to return her exiled citizens, what a grand clearance there will be in all the western ports, from the Clyde to Cardiff, what a fine exit of ignorance and dirt and drunkenness and disease." He moved into a new genre and became equally well known as a

dramatist A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...

. ''

Dangerous Corner ''Dangerous Corner'' was the first play by the English writer J. B. Priestley. It was premiered in May 1932 by Tyrone Guthrie at the Lyric Theatre, London, and filmed in 1934 by Phil Rosen. Priestley had recently collaborated with Edward Knoblo ...

'' (1932) was the first of many plays that would enthral West End theatre audiences. His best-known play is ''

An Inspector Calls ''An Inspector Calls'' is a play written by English dramatist J. B. Priestley, first performed in the Soviet Union in 1945 and at the New Theatre in London the following year. It is one of Priestley's best-known works for the stage and is con ...

'' (1945). His plays are more varied in tone than the novels, several being influenced by

J. W. Dunne John William Dunne (2 December 1875 – 24 August 1949) was a British soldier, aeronautical engineer and philosopher. As a young man he fought in the Second Boer War, before becoming a pioneering aeroplane designer in the early years of the 20th ...

's theory of time, which plays a part in the plots of ''Dangerous Corner'' (1932) and ''

Time and the Conways ''Time and the Conways'' is a British play written by J. B. Priestley in 1937 illustrating J. W. Dunne's Theory of Time through the experience of a moneyed Yorkshire family, the Conways, over a period of nineteen years from 1919 to 1937. Wide ...

''. In 1940 Priestley wrote an essay for ''

Horizon The horizon is the apparent line that separates the surface of a celestial body from its sky when viewed from the perspective of an observer on or near the surface of the relevant body. This line divides all viewing directions based on whether i ...

'' magazine in which he criticised

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from ...

for his support of

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secretar ...

: "Shaw presumes that his friend Stalin has everything under control. Well, Stalin may have made special arrangements to see that Shaw comes to no harm, but the rest of us in Western Europe do not feel quite so sure of our fate, especially those of us who do not share Shaw's curious admiration for dictators." During the

Second World War 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 ...

he was a regular broadcaster on the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...

. The ''Postscript'', broadcast on Sunday night in 1940 and again in 1941, drew peak audiences of 16 million; only

Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from 1 ...

was more popular with listeners.

wrote that Priestley "became in the months after Dunkirk a leader second only in importance to Mr Churchill. And he gave us what our other leaders have always failed to give us – an ideology." But his talks were cancelled. It was thought that this was the effect of complaints from Churchill that they were too left-wing; however in 2015 Priestley's son said in a talk on the latest book being published about his father's life that it was in fact Churchill's Cabinet that brought about the cancellation by supplying negative reports on the broadcasts to Churchill. Priestley chaired the

1941 Committee {{Use British English, date=January 2013 The 1941 Committee was a group of British politicians, writers and other people of influence who got together in 1940. Its members comprised liberals, and those further left, who were not generally involved ...

and in 1942 he was a cofounder of the socialist

Common Wealth Party The Common Wealth Party (CW) was a socialist political party in the United Kingdom with parliamentary representation from the middle of the Second World War until the year after its end. Thereafter it continued in being, essentially as a pres ...

. The political content of his broadcasts and his hopes of a new and different Britain after the war influenced the politics of the period and helped the Labour Party gain its landslide victory in the

1945 general election The following elections occurred in the year 1945. Africa * 1945 South-West African legislative election Asia * 1945 Indian general election Australia * 1945 Fremantle by-election Europe * 1945 Albanian parliamentary election * 1945 Bulgaria ...

. Priestley himself, however, was distrustful of the state and dogma, though he did stand for the

Cambridge University , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

constituency in 1945. Priestley's name was on

Orwell's list In 1949, shortly before he died, the English author George Orwell prepared a list of notable writers and other people he considered to be unsuitable as possible writers for the anti-communist propaganda activities of the Information Research D ...

, a list of people that George Orwell prepared in March 1949 for the

Information Research Department The Information Research Department (IRD) was a secret Cold War propaganda department of the British Foreign Office, created to publish anti-communist propaganda, including black propaganda, provide support and information to anti-communist pol ...

(IRD), a propaganda unit set up at the

Foreign Office Foreign may refer to: Government * Foreign policy, how a country interacts with other countries * Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in many countries ** Foreign Office, a department of the UK government ** Foreign office and foreign minister * Unit ...

by the Labour government. Orwell considered or suspected these people to have pro-communist leanings and therefore to be unsuitable to write for the IRD. He was a founding member of the

Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) is an organisation that advocates unilateral nuclear disarmament by the United Kingdom, international nuclear disarmament and tighter international arms regulation through agreements such as the Nucle ...

in 1958. In 1960 Priestley published ''Literature and Western Man'', a 500-page survey of

Western literature Western literature, also known as European literature, is the literature written in the context of Western culture in the languages of Europe, as well as several geographically or historically related languages such as Basque and Hungarian, an ...

in all its genres from the second half of the 15th century to the present. (The last author discussed was

Thomas Wolfe Thomas Clayton Wolfe (October 3, 1900 – September 15, 1938) was an American novelist of the early 20th century. Wolfe wrote four lengthy novels as well as many short stories, dramatic works, and novellas. He is known for mixing highly origin ...

.) His interest in the problem of time led him to publish an extended essay in 1964 under the title of ''Man and Time''. (Aldus published this as a companion to

Carl Jung Carl Gustav Jung ( ; ; 26 July 1875 – 6 June 1961) was a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who founded analytical psychology. Jung's work has been influential in the fields of psychiatry, anthropology, archaeology, literature, philo ...

's ''

Man and His Symbols ''Man and His Symbols'' is the last work undertaken by Carl Jung before his death in 1961. First published in 1964, it is divided into five parts, four of which were written by associates of Jung: Marie-Louise von Franz, Joseph L. Henderson, An ...

''.) In the book he explored in depth various theories and beliefs about time as well as his own research and unique conclusions, including an analysis of the phenomenon of precognitive dreaming, based in part on a broad sampling of experiences gathered from the British public, who responded enthusiastically to a televised appeal he made while being interviewed in 1963 on the BBC programme ''

Monitor Monitor or monitor may refer to: Places * Monitor, Alberta * Monitor, Indiana, town in the United States * Monitor, Kentucky * Monitor, Oregon, unincorporated community in the United States * Monitor, Washington * Monitor, Logan County, West Vir ...

''.

The

University of Bradford The University of Bradford is a Public university, public research university located in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. A plate glass university, it received its royal charter in 1966, making it the 40th university to be creat ...

awarded Priestley the title of honorary

Doctor of Letters Doctor of Letters (D.Litt., Litt.D., Latin: ' or ') is a terminal degree in the humanities that, depending on the country, is a higher doctorate after the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree or equivalent to a higher doctorate, such as the Doctor ...

in 1970 and he was awarded the

Freedom of the City The Freedom of the City (or Borough in some parts of the UK) is an honour bestowed by a municipality upon a valued member of the community, or upon a visiting celebrity or dignitary. Arising from the medieval practice of granting respected ...

of Bradford in 1973. His connections with the city were also marked by the naming of the J. B. Priestley Library at the University of Bradford, which he officially opened in 1975, and by the larger-than-life statue of him, commissioned by the

Bradford City Council City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council is the local authority of the City of Bradford in West Yorkshire, England. It is a metropolitan district council, one of five in West Yorkshire and one of 36 in the metropolitan counties of England, ...

after his death and which now stands in front of the

National Media Museum The National Science and Media Museum (formerly The National Museum of Photography, Film & Television, 1983–2006 and then the National Media Museum, 2006–2017), located in Bradford, West Yorkshire, is part of the national Science Museum G ...

Personal life

Priestley had a deep love for classical music, especially

chamber music Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small numb ...

. This love is reflected in a number of Priestley's works, notably his own favourite novel, ''Bright Day'' (Heinemann, 1946). His book ''Trumpets Over the Sea'' is subtitled "a rambling and egotistical account of the London Symphony Orchestra's engagement at Daytona Beach, Florida, in July–August 1967". In 1941 he played an important part in organising and supporting a fund-raising campaign on behalf of the

London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) is one of five permanent symphony orchestras based in London. It was founded by the conductors Sir Thomas Beecham and Malcolm Sargent in 1932 as a rival to the existing London Symphony and BBC Symphony ...

, which was struggling to establish itself as a self-governing body after the withdrawal of Sir

Thomas Beecham Sir Thomas Beecham, 2nd Baronet, Order of the Companions of Honour, CH (29 April 18798 March 1961) was an English conductor and impresario best known for his association with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Philharmonic and the Roya ...

. In 1949 the opera ''

The Olympians ''The Olympians'' is an opera in three acts by Arthur Bliss to a libretto by J. B. Priestley, first performed at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden on 29 September 1949, conducted by Karl Rankl in a production by Peter Brook. After the initial ...

'' by

Arthur Bliss Sir Arthur Edward Drummond Bliss (2 August 189127 March 1975) was an English composer and conductor. Bliss's musical training was cut short by the First World War, in which he served with distinction in the army. In the post-war years he qu ...

, to a libretto by Priestley, was premiered. Priestley snubbed the chance to become a

life peer In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. In modern times, life peerages, always created at the rank of baron, are created under the Life Peerages ...

in 1965 and also declined appointment as a

Companion of Honour The Order of the Companions of Honour is an order of the Commonwealth realms. It was founded on 4 June 1917 by King George V as a reward for outstanding achievements. Founded on the same date as the Order of the British Empire, it is sometimes ...

in 1969. But he did become a member of the

Order of Merit The Order of Merit (french: link=no, Ordre du Mérite) is an order of merit for the Commonwealth realms, recognising distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or for the promotion of culture. Established in 1902 by K ...

in 1977. He also served as a British delegate to

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

conferences.

Marriages

Priestley was married three times. He also had a number of affairs, including a serious relationship with the actress

Peggy Ashcroft Dame Edith Margaret Emily Ashcroft (22 December 1907 – 14 June 1991), known professionally as Peggy Ashcroft, was an English actress whose career spanned more than 60 years. Born to a comfortable middle-class family, Ashcroft was deter ...

. Writing in 1972, Priestley described himself as "lusty" and as one who has "enjoyed the physical relations with the sexes ..without the feelings of guilt which seems to disturb some of my distinguished colleagues". In 1921 Priestley married Emily "Pat" Tempest, a music-loving Bradford librarian. Two daughters were born: Barbara (later known as the architect Barbara Wykeham) in 1923 and Sylvia (a designer known as

Sylvia Goaman Sylvia Nancy Goaman ( Priestley; 30 April 1924 – 3 August 2006) was a British graphic designer, specialising in textile, postage stamp, and stained glass window design. In collaboration with her husband, Michael Goaman, she is known for design ...

following her marriage to

Michael Goaman Geoffrey Michael Goaman (1921–2009) was a graphic designer and illustrator, who designed a number of British commemorative postage stamps starting with the 4d stamp in the set for the Coronation of Elizabeth II in 1953, and then many in the 19 ...

) in 1924. In 1925, his wife died of cancer. In September 1926 Priestley married Jane Wyndham-Lewis (ex-wife of the one-time '

Beachcomber A beachcomber is a person who practices beachcombing. Beachcomber or Beachcombers may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''The Beachcomber'' (1915 film), an American drama * ''The Beachcomber'' (1938 film), starring Charles Laughton and a ...

' columnist

D. B. Wyndham-Lewis Dominic Bevan Wyndham Lewis Royal Society of Literature, FRSL (9 March 1891 – 21 November 1969) was a British journalist, author and biographer, known for his humorous newspaper articles. Life and works Born Llewellyn Bevan Wyndham Lewis to a ...

, no relation to the artist

Wyndham Lewis Percy Wyndham Lewis (18 November 1882 – 7 March 1957) was a British writer, painter and critic. He was a co-founder of the Vorticist movement in art and edited ''BLAST,'' the literary magazine of the Vorticists. His novels include ''Tarr'' ( ...

); they had two daughters (including music therapist

Mary Priestley Mary Priestley (4 March 1925 – 11 June 2017) was a British music therapist. She was credited for development of Analytical Music Therapy, a synthesis of psychoanalytic theory and music therapy. Drawing on the theories of Carl Jung, Sigmund Fr ...

, conceived in 1924 while Jane was still married to D. B. Wyndham-Lewis) and one son, the film editor

Tom Priestley Tom Priestley (born 22 April 1932 in London) is a British film and sound editor, whose career spans from 1961 to 1990. Personal life Tom Priestley is the only son of the novelist and playwright J. B. Priestley.Sierz, Aleks (29 October 2007 ...

. During the

Jane ran several residential nurseries for evacuated mothers and their children, many of whom had come from poor districts. For much of their married life they lived at 3, The Grove in

Highgate Highgate ( ) is a suburban area of north London at the northeastern corner of Hampstead Heath, north-northwest of Charing Cross. Highgate is one of the most expensive London suburbs in which to live. It has two active conservation organisati ...

, formerly the home of the poet

Samuel Taylor Coleridge Samuel Taylor Coleridge (; 21 October 177225 July 1834) was an English poet, literary critic, philosopher, and theologian who, with his friend William Wordsworth, was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake Poe ...

. In 1953 Priestley was divorced by his second wife and then married the archaeologist and writer

Jacquetta Hawkes Jacquetta is a feminine given name which may refer to: * Jacquetta of Luxembourg (1415/16–1472), Duchess of Bedford, Countess Rivers * Jacquetta Hawkes (1910–1996), English archaeologist and writer * Jacquetta May, British writer, actress and t ...

, with whom he collaborated on the play ''Dragon's Mouth''. The couple lived at

Alveston, Warwickshire Alveston is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Stratford-upon-Avon, and around north-east of Stratford town centre, in the Stratford-on-Avon district, in the county of Warwickshire, England. It is located to the south of, a ...

, near

Stratford-upon-Avon Stratford-upon-Avon (), commonly known as just Stratford, is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district, in the county of Warwickshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It is situated on the River Avon, north-we ...

, later in his life.

Death

Priestley died of

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...

on 14 August 1984, a month short of his ninetieth birthday. His ashes were buried in

Hubberholme Hubberholme is an old village in Upper Wharfedale in the Yorkshire Dales, North Yorkshire, England, at the point where Langstrothdale meets Wharfedale. It is quite secluded and the nearest village is Buckden. The village was a favourite place ...

churchyard at the head of

Wharfedale Wharfedale ( ) is the valley of the upper parts of the River Wharfe and one of the Yorkshire Dales. It is situated within the districts of Craven and Harrogate in North Yorkshire, and the cities of Leeds and Bradford in West Yorkshire. It is ...

in Yorkshire. The exact location of his ashes has never been made public and was known only to the three people present. A plaque in the church just states that his ashes are buried 'nearby'. Three photographs exist showing the ashes being interred, taken by Dr Brian Hoyle Thompson. He and his wife were two of the three people present. The brass plate on the box containing the ashes reads J. B. Priestley and can be seen clearly in one of the pictures.

Bibliography

Novels

*''Adam in Moonshine'' (1927) *''

'' (1927) (filmed as ''The Old Dark House'') *''

'' (1929) *''

'' (1930) *''Faraway'' (1932) *''Wonder Hero'' (1933) *''Albert Goes Through'' (1933) *''They Walk in the City'' (1936) *''The Doomsday Men'' (1937) *'' Let the People Sing'' (1939) *'' Blackout in Gretley'' (1942) *'' Daylight on Saturday'' (1943) *''Three Men in New Suits'' (1945) *''

'' (1946) *''

Jenny Villiers ''Jenny Villiers: A Story of the Theatre'' is a short novel by J. B. Priestley, first published in 1947. A successful but dispirited playwright is supervising the rehearsals of his new play, ''The Glass Door'', at an old theatre in North Englan ...

'' (1947) *''

Festival at Farbridge ''Festival at Farbridge'' is a 1951 comedy novel by the British writer J.B. Priestley.Klein p.456 A small town in the Midlands decides to hold its own event during the Festival of Britain The Festival of Britain was a national exhibition ...

'' (1951) *''Low Notes on a High Level'' (1954) *'' The Magicians'' (1954) *''Saturn over the Water'' (1961) *''The Thirty-First of June'' (1961) *''

Salt Is Leaving Salt Is Leaving is a 1966 mystery novel by the British writer J.B. Priestley John Boynton Priestley (; 13 September 1894 – 14 August 1984) was an English novelist, playwright, screenwriter, broadcaster and social commentator. His Yorks ...

'' (1961) *''

The Shapes of Sleep ''The Shapes of Sleep'' is a 1962 mystery novel by the British writer J.B. Priestley John Boynton Priestley (; 13 September 1894 – 14 August 1984) was an English novelist, playwright, screenwriter, broadcaster and social commentator. H ...

'' (1962) *''Sir Michael and Sir George'' (1964) *''

Lost Empires ''Lost Empires'' is a 1986 television miniseries adaptation of J. B. Priestley's 1965 novel of the same name and starred Colin Firth, John Castle and Laurence Olivier. Produced by Granada Television, it was shown as a serial, and premiered o ...

'' (1965) *'' It's an Old Country'' (1967) *''The Image Men Vol. 1: Out of Town'' (1968) *''The Image Men Vol. 2: London End'' (1968) *'' Found, Lost, Found'' (1976)

Other fiction

*''Farthing Hall'' (1929) (Novel written in collaboration with

Hugh Walpole Sir Hugh Seymour Walpole, Commander of the Order of the British Empire, CBE (13 March 18841 June 1941) was an English novelist. He was the son of an Anglican clergyman, intended for a career in the church but drawn instead to writing. Among th ...

) *''The Town Major of Miraucourt'' (1930) (Short story published in a limited edition of 525 copies) *''I'll Tell You Everything'' (1932) (Novel written in collaboration with

Gerald Bullett Gerald William Bullett (30 December 1893 – 3 January 1958) was a British man of letters. He was known as a novelist, essayist, short story writer, critic and poet. He wrote both supernatural fiction and some children's literature. A few of his ...

) *'' The Other Place'' (1952) (Short Stories) *''Snoggle'' (1971) (Novel for children) *''The Carfitt Crisis'' (1975) (Two novellas and a short story) ; Novelizations by Ruth Mitchell (author of the wartime novel ''The Lost Generation'' and Priestley's sister-in-law by way of his second marriage): * ''

'' (1933), based on the later Broadway draft of the play, with a foreword by Priestley (paperback) * ''

Laburnum Grove ''Laburnum Grove'' is a 1936 British comedy film directed by Carol Reed and starring Edmund Gwenn, Cedric Hardwicke and Victoria Hopper. It was based on the 1933 play of the same name written by J. B. Priestley. Plot summary To rid himself of ...

'' (1936), based on the play and subsequent screenplay, published as a hardcover tie-in edition to the film

Selected plays

* ''

'' (1931) *''

'' (1932) *''

'' (1933) *''

Eden End ''Eden End'' is a play by J. B. Priestley, first produced by Irene Hentschel at the Duchess Theatre, London, on 13 September 1934. Plot introduction In the last week of October 1912 the family of Dr Kirby, a widower in the North of England, is d ...

'' (1934) *''Cornelius'' (1935) *''People at Sea'' (1936) * ''

Bees on the Boat Deck ''Bees on the Boat Deck'' is a 1936 comedy drama play by the British writer J.B. Priestley. It ran for 37 performances at the Lyric Theatre in London's West End. The cast included Laurence Olivier, Ralph Richardson, Rene Ray and Raymond Huntle ...

'' (1936) *''

'' (1937) *''

I Have Been Here Before ''I Have Been Here Before'' is a play by J. B. Priestley, first produced by Lewis Casson at the Royalty Theatre, London, on 22 September 1937. Plot introduction At a rural inn on a Yorkshire moor, three people become involved in a strange confr ...

'' (1937) *''

'' (1938) *''

Johnson Over Jordan ''Johnson Over Jordan'' is a play by J.B. Priestley. ''Johnson Over Jordan'' focuses on Robert Johnson, a meek businessman who has recently died. Now in limbo, Johnson looks back over his life while trying to reach the Inn at the End of World. On ...

'' (1939) *''The Long Mirror'' (1940) *''

They Came to a City ''They Came to a City'' is a 1944 British film directed by Basil Dearden adapted from the 1943 play of the same title by J. B. Priestley. It stars John Clements, Googie Withers, Raymond Huntley, Renee Gadd, A. E. Matthews and others, and is not ...

'' (1943) *''

'' (1945) * ''

Ever Since Paradise ''Ever Since Paradise'' is a 1946 comedy play by the British writer J.B. Priestley. It premiered at the Lyceum Theatre in Sheffield in August 1946. The following June it transferred to the New Theatre in London's West End where it ran for 165 ...

'' (1946) *''

The Linden Tree ''The Linden Tree'' is a 1947 play by the English dramatist J. B. Priestley. It was first produced at the Duchess Theatre, London on 15 August 1947, and ran for 422 performances."Duchess Theatre", ''The Times'' 16 August 1947, p. 6 ...

'' (1947) *''

Summer Day's Dream ''Summer Day's Dream'' is a 1949 play by J. B. Priestley. It is set in 1975, and evokes a world where a nuclear Third World War has caused Britain to revert to a pre-industrial, pre-capitalist state. It takes its title from Shakespeare's ''A Mid ...

'' (1949) *''Mother's Day'' (1950) * ''

The White Countess ''The White Countess'' is a 2005 drama film directed by James Ivory and starring Ralph Fiennes, Natasha Richardson, Vanessa Redgrave, Hiroyuki Sanada, Lynn Redgrave, Allan Corduner, and Madeleine Potter. The screenplay by Kazuo Ishiguro focuses o ...

'' (1954) * ''

Mr. Kettle and Mrs. Moon ''Mr. Kettle and Mrs. Moon'' is a comedy play by the British writer J.B. Priestley first staged in 1955 at the Duchess Theatre in London. The original cast featured Clive Morton and Fanny Rowe in the title roles and was directed by Tony Richardson ...

'' (1955) * '' The Glass Cage'' (1957) *''The Thirty-first of June: A Tale of True Love, Enterprise and Progress in the Arthurian and AD-Atomic Ages'' **Novel. December 1961: hardback; / (UK edition); William Heinemann Ltd **BBC radio dramatisation; one and a half hours **Novel. 1996: paperback; / (UK edition); Mandarin **''31 June'' (1978) (TV) Soviet film; aka 31 июня * ''Benighted'' (2016, adapted from his 1928 novel by Duncan Gates) *''The Roundabout'' (1931)

Films

*''

Sing As We Go ''Sing As We Go'' is a 1934 British musical film starring Gracie Fields, John Loder and Stanley Holloway. The script was written by Gordon Wellesley and J. B. Priestley. Considered by many to be British music hall star Gracie Fields' finest ve ...

'' (1934) *''

The Princess Comes Across ''The Princess Comes Across'' is a 1936 mystery/comedy film directed by William K. Howard and starring Carole Lombard and Fred MacMurray, the second of the four times they were paired together. Lombard, playing an actress from Brooklyn pretend ...

'' (1936) *''

Jamaica Inn The Jamaica Inn is a traditional inn on Bodmin Moor in Cornwall in the UK, which was built as a coaching inn in 1750, and has a historical association with smuggling. Located just off the A30, near the middle of the moor close to the hamle ...

'' (1939) *''

Britain at Bay ''Britain at Bay'' (aka ''Britain on Guard'' in other countries) is a 1940 British propaganda film produced by the General Post Office GPO Film Unit of the British Ministry of Information and distributed by the National Film Board of Canada. Th ...

'' (1940, Short) *''

The Foreman Went to France ''The Foreman Went to France'' (released in the USA as ''Somewhere in France'' ) is a 1942 British Second World War war film starring Clifford Evans, Tommy Trinder, Constance Cummings and Gordon Jackson. It was based on the real-life wartime ex ...

'' (1942) *'' Last Holiday'' (1950, wrote story, screenplay and produced the film) *''

'' (1954)

Television work

*''

You Know What People Are In Modern English, ''you'' is the Grammatical person, second-person English pronouns, pronoun. It is Grammatical number, grammatically plural, and was historically used only for the dative case, but in most modern dialects is used for all case ...

'' (1955) *''

Armchair Theatre ''Armchair Theatre'' is a British television drama anthology series of single plays that ran on the ITV network from 1956 to 1974. It was originally produced by ABC Weekend TV. Its successor Thames Television took over from mid-1968. The Canadi ...

: Now Let Him Go'' (ABC – 15 September 1957) *''Doomsday for Dyson'' (Granada – 10 March 1958) *''

Out of the Unknown ''Out of the Unknown'' is a British television science fiction anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and broadcast on BBC2 in four series between 1965 and 1971. Most episodes of the first three series were a dramatisation of a science f ...

: Level Seven'' (BBC2 – 27 October 1966, adaptation of a story by

Mordecai Roshwald Mordecai Marceli Roshwald (May 26, 1921 – March 19, 2015) was an American academic and writer. Born in Drohobycz, Ukraine to Jewish parents, Roshwald later emigrated to Israel. His most famous work is '' Level 7'' (1959), a post-apocalyptic sc ...

) *''

The Wednesday Play ''The Wednesday Play'' is an anthology series of United Kingdom, British television plays which ran on BBC One, BBC1 for six seasons from October 1964 to May 1970. The plays were usually original works written for television, although dramati ...

: Anyone for Tennis?'' (BBC1 – 25 September 1968) *''

Shadows A shadow is a dark area where light from a light source is blocked by an opaque object. It occupies all of the three-dimensional volume behind an object with light in front of it. The cross section of a shadow is a two-dimensional silhouette, o ...

: The Other Window'' (Thames – 15 October 1975, co-written with

) *''

'' (several versions including BBC - 2015)

Literary criticism

*''The English Comic Characters'' (1925) *''The English Novel'' (1927) *''Literature and Western Man'' (1960) *''Charles Dickens and his world'' (1969)

Social and political works

*''

'' (1934) *''Out of the people'' (1941) *''The Secret Dream: an essay on Britain, America and Russia'' (1946) *''The Arts under Socialism'' (1947) *''The Prince of Pleasure and his Regency'' (1969) *''The Edwardians'' (1970) *'' Victoria's Heyday (1972) *''The English'' (1973) *''A Visit to New Zealand'' (1974)

Autobiography and essays

*''Essays of To-day and Yesterday (1926) *''Apes and Angels'' (1928) *''The Balconinny'' (1931) *''Midnight on the Desert'' (1937) *''Rain Upon Godshill: A Further Chapter of Autobiography'' (1939) *''Postscripts'' (1940) *''Delight'' (1949) *''Journey Down a Rainbow'' (co-authored with Jacquetta Hawkes, 1955) *''Margin Released'' (1962) *''Man and Time'' (1964) *''The Moments and Other Pieces'' (1966) *''Over the Long High Wall'' (1972) *''The Happy Dream'' (Limited edition, 1976) *''Instead of the Trees'' (1977)

References

Other sources * Brome, Vincent (1988). ''J.B. Priestley.''
Bright Day: A special collectors' edition, by J.B. Priestley
*

External links

The Official J. B. Priestley website

The J. B. Priestley Society

J. B. Priestley Papers
at the

at the

J. B. Priestley biography
at

Spartacus Educational Spartacus Educational is a free online encyclopedia with essays and other educational material on a wide variety of historical subjects principally British history from 1700 and the history of the United States. Based in the United Kingdom, Spart ...

J. B. Priestley Archive
at the

Priestley in the Theatre Collection

University of Bristol , mottoeng = earningpromotes one's innate power (from Horace, ''Ode 4.4'') , established = 1595 – Merchant Venturers School1876 – University College, Bristol1909 – received royal charter , type ...

''John Angerson's English Journey''
Photographer Angerson retraces J.B. Priestley's footsteps 75 years after publication of Priestley's seminal travelog, ''English Journey''. Article by Graham Harrison for the Photo Histories web site.
1944 film of Priestley at work
at

British Pathé British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

* * * * *
BBC Archives – J. B. Priestley's 'Postscript' – radio broadcast from 5 June 1940
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Priestley, J. B. 1894 births 1984 deaths Alumni of Trinity Hall, Cambridge English anti–nuclear weapons activists British Army personnel of World War I Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament activists Common Wealth Party politicians Duke of Wellington's Regiment soldiers Devonshire Regiment officers Military personnel from Bradford English opera librettists English humorists English socialists Members of the Order of Merit Writers from Bradford James Tait Black Memorial Prize recipients English male novelists 20th-century English novelists 20th-century English dramatists and playwrights British male dramatists and playwrights People educated at Belle Vue Boys' Grammar School, Bradford Philosophers of time 20th-century English male writers Writers from Yorkshire Common Wealth Party Presidents of the English Centre of PEN