(John Frederick) Norman Lewis (28 June 1908 – 22 July 2003) was an influential British journalist and a prolific writer. He is best known for his

travel writing Travel is the movement of people between distant geographical locations. Travel can be done by foot, bicycle, automobile, train, boat, bus, airplane, ship or other means, with or without luggage, and can be one way or round trip. Travel can ...

, he also wrote twelve novels and several volumes of autobiography. Subjects he explored in his travel writing include life in

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

during the Allied liberation of Italy (''

Naples '44 ''Naples '44: An Intelligence Officer in the Italian Labyrinth'' is a military memoir of the Second World War written by the British travel writer and novelist Norman Lewis that was first published in 1978. The book is in the form of a diary that ...

'');

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

and French colonial Indochina (''A Dragon Apparent'');

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

(''An Empire of the East'');

Burma Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...

(''Golden Earth''); tribal peoples of India (''A Goddess in the Stones'');

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

and the

Mafia "Mafia" is an informal term that is used to describe criminal organizations that bear a strong similarity to the original “Mafia”, the Sicilian Mafia and Italian Mafia. The central activity of such an organization would be the arbitration of d ...

(''The Honoured Society'' and ''In Sicily''); and the destruction caused by

Christian missionaries A Christian mission is an organized effort for the propagation of the Christian faith. Missions involve sending individuals and groups across boundaries, most commonly geographical boundaries, to carry on evangelism or other activities, such as ...

in Latin America and elsewhere (''The Missionaries''). His newspaper article entitled "Genocide in Brazil" (1969) prompted the creation of

Survival International Survival International is a human rights organisation formed in 1969, a London based charity that campaigns for the rights of indigenous and/or tribal peoples and uncontacted peoples. The organisation's campaigns generally focus on tribal peopl ...

—an organisation dedicated to the protection of

indigenous peoples Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

around the world.

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 ...

described Lewis as "one of the best writers, not of any particular decade, but of our century".

Early life

Lewis came from a Welsh family and in later life identified – at least partially – as Welsh, but he was born at "Clifton" (which Lewis called a "quiet, rather dismal little house"), 343, Carterhatch Lane,

Enfield Enfield may refer to: Places Australia * Enfield, New South Wales * Enfield, South Australia ** Electoral district of Enfield, a state electoral district in South Australia, corresponding to the suburb ** Enfield High School (South Australia) ...

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, historic county in South East England, southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the Ceremonial counties of ...

, a suburb of London, to pharmacist Richard George Lewis (d. 1936) and his wife Louise Charlotte (née Evans; d. 1950). His parents became

spiritualists Spiritualism is the metaphysical school of thought opposing physicalism and also is the category of all spiritual beliefs/views (in monism and dualism) from ancient to modern. In the long nineteenth century, Spiritualism (when not lowercase) b ...

after the deaths of Lewis's elder brothers, and hoped young Lewis would grow up to become a medium. A clever child, Lewis was bullied by other children, and sent by his parents to live for a couple of years with three deeply religious "half-mad aunts" in Wales. Having been educated at

Enfield Grammar School Enfield Grammar School (abbreviated to EGS; also known as Enfield Grammar) is a boys' Comprehensive school and sixth form with academy status, founded in 1558, situated in Enfield Town in the London Borough of Enfield in North London. Histo ...

, as a young man, Lewis tried a variety of ways to make a living in 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 ...

of the 1930s, including self-employed wedding photographer, auctioneer, umbrella wholesaler and briefly a motorcycle racer at

Harringay Stadium Harringay Stadium was a major greyhound racing and motorcycle speedway venue in Harringay, north London. It was built and opened in 1927 and closed in 1987. Construction Harringay Stadium was the third greyhound racing stadium to open in Br ...

and

White City White City may refer to: Places Australia * White City, Perth, an amusement park on the Perth foreshore * White City railway station, a former railway station * White City Stadium (Sydney), a tennis centre in Sydney * White City FC, a football clu ...

. At this time of his life, he was a "young rake and dandy" with a "love of fast cars and adventure". For some years during this period, he set up home in Woodberry Down near

Manor House A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were held the lord's manorial courts, communal meals w ...

in London.Julian Evans, Semi-Invisible Man: The Life of Norman Lewis, Pan MacMillan, 2009, pp 95–96 Lewis's different books give varying accounts of his

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

service in

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 ...

. In his autobiography, ''Jackdaw Cake'', he says he served in the Intelligence Corps in Algiers, Tunisia and Naples in 1942-44; elsewhere says he was eventually commissioned as a

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

and served with the

1st King's Dragoon Guards The 1st King's Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment in the British Army. The regiment was raised by Sir John Lanier in 1685 as the 2nd Queen's Regiment of Horse, named in honour of Queen Mary, consort of King James II. It was renamed the 2nd Ki ...

, an armoured regiment in the Italian Campaign. His account of experiences during the Allied occupation of Italy, ''

'' (1978) was called by ''

The Telegraph ''The Telegraph'', ''Daily Telegraph'', ''Sunday Telegraph'' and other variant names are popular names for newspapers. Newspapers with these titles include: Australia * ''The Telegraph'' (Adelaide), a newspaper in Adelaide, South Australia, publ ...

'' "one of the great first-hand accounts of the Second World War." Shortly after the war he wrote books about

, ''Golden Earth'' (1952), and

French Indochina French Indochina (previously spelled as French Indo-China),; vi, Đông Dương thuộc Pháp, , lit. 'East Ocean under French Control; km, ឥណ្ឌូចិនបារាំង, ; th, อินโดจีนฝรั่งเศส, ...

, ''A Dragon Apparent'' (1951), which ''The Telegraph'' similarly praised as " the finest record of Indo-China before the devastation wrought by the Vietnam War".

Tribal societies

Another major concern of Lewis's was the impact of

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...

activity on

tribal The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to conflic ...

societies in Latin America and elsewhere. He was hostile to the activities of missionaries, especially American

evangelicals Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide Interdenominationalism, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being "bor ...

. This is covered in his book ''The Missionaries'', and several shorter pieces. He frequently said that he regarded his life's major achievement as the worldwide reaction to writing on tribal societies in South America. In 1968, his article "Genocide in Brazil", published in 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 ...

'' after a journey to Brazil with the war photographer

Don McCullin Sir Donald McCullin (born 9 October 1935) is a British photojournalist, particularly recognised for his war photography and images of urban strife. His career, which began in 1959, has specialised in examining the underside of society, and hi ...

, created such an outcry that it led to the creation of the organisation

, dedicated to the protection of first peoples around the world. Lewis later said of this article that it was "the most worthwhile of all my endeavours".

Writing

Lewis was fascinated by cultures which were little touched by the modern world. This was reflected in his books on travels in

, ''An Empire of the East'', and among the tribal peoples of India, ''A Goddess in the Stones''. Lewis wrote several volumes of autobiography, again concerned primarily with his observations of the many places in which he lived at various times, including

St Catherine's Island St Catherine's Island (Welsh: ''Ynys Catrin'') is a small tidal island linked to Tenby in Pembrokeshire, Wales, by Castle beach at low tide. The island, which is known colloquially as St Catherine's Rock, is the location of St Catherine's Fort ...

South Wales South Wales ( cy, De Cymru) is a loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, south Wales extends westwards ...

near Tenby, the

Bloomsbury Bloomsbury is a district in the West End of London. It is considered a fashionable residential area, and is the location of numerous cultural, intellectual, and educational institutions. Bloomsbury is home of the British Museum, the largest mus ...

district of London during

Nicaragua Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the cou ...

, a Spanish fishing village (''Voices of the Old Sea''), and a village near Rome. Lewis also wrote twelve novels. Some of these enjoyed significant success at the time of publication, but his literary reputation rests mainly on his travel writing.

Testimony of war crimes in Lazio

At the time Lewis was a British officer on the

Monte Cassino Monte Cassino (today usually spelled Montecassino) is a rocky hill about southeast of Rome, in the Latin Valley, Italy, west of Cassino and at an elevation of . Site of the Roman town of Casinum, it is widely known for its abbey, the first h ...

front, he witnessed war crimes (

Marocchinate Marocchinate (; ) is a term applied to the mass rape and killings committed during World War II after the Battle of Monte Cassino in Italy. These were committed mainly by the Moroccan Goumiers, colonial troops of the French Expeditionary Corps ( ...

) committed by French troops during the Italian campaign:

Family

Lewis's first wife, Ernestina Corvaja, was a Swiss-Sicilian. Sicilian life, including the role of the

, was a major theme, which he explored in ''The Honoured Society'' (1964) and ''In Sicily'' (2000). While never losing sight of the horrors inflicted by the Mafia, his accounts were not sensationalist. They were based on a detailed understanding of Sicilian society, and a deep sympathy with the sufferings of the Sicilian people. The Latin connection encouraged him to travel, resulting in his first book, ''Spanish Adventure'' (1935). The marriage had however failed by the start of the Second World War in 1939. He was briefly married a second time, after the war. He died in

Saffron Walden Saffron Walden is a market town in the Uttlesford district of Essex, England, north of Bishop's Stortford, south of Cambridge and north of London. It retains a rural appearance and some buildings of the medieval period. The population was 15, ...

, Essex, survived by his third wife, Lesley, and their son, Gawaine, and two daughters, Kiki and Samara; and by a son, Gareth, and daughter, Karen, from his second marriage with Hester; and by a son, Ito, from his first marriage. His son Gareth is also a published writer. Lewis said that he believed in "absolutely nothing" and indeed "I do not believe in belief." He did not believe that humanity was making progress. He talked about "the intense joy I derive from being alive", and said he was "exceedingly happy".

Bibliography

Novels

*''Samara'' (Cape 1949) *''Within the Labyrinth'' (Cape 1950; US: 1986 Carroll) *''A Single Pilgrim'' (Cape 1953; US: 1953 Rinehart) *''The Day of the Fox'' (Cape 1955; US: 1955 Rinehart) *''The Volcanoes Above Us'' (Cape 1957; US: 1957 Pantheon, not dated) *''Darkness Visible'' (Cape 1960; US: 1960 Pantheon) *''The Tenth Year of the Ship'' (Collins 1962; US: 1962 Harcourt) *''A Small War Made to Order'' (Collins 1966; US: 1966 Brace) *''Every Man's Brother'' (Heinemann 1967; US: 1968 Morrow) *''Flight from a Dark Equator'' (Collins 1972; US: 1972 Putnam) *''The Sicilian Specialist'' (Random 1974; UK: 1975 Collins) *''The German Company'' (Collins 1979) *''The Cuban Passage'' (Collins 1982; US: 1982 Pantheon) *''A Suitable Case for Corruption'' (Hamilton 1984; US: 1984 Pantheon, as ''The Man in the Middle'') *''The March of the Long Shadows'' (Secker 1987)

Travel and miscellaneous

*''Spanish Adventure (1935, later disowned) *''Sand and Sea in Arabia'' (Routledge 1938) *''A Dragon Apparent: Travels in Indo-China'' (Cape 1951, Eland 1982; US: Scribner's 1951) *''Golden Earth: Travels in Burma'' (Cape 1952; US: Scribner's 1952) *''The Changing Sky: The Travels of a Novelist'' (Cape 1959; US: Pantheon 1959) *''The Honoured Society: The Mafia Conspiracy Observed'' (Collins 1964, Eland 2003; US: Putnam's 1964) *''

'' (Collins 1978, Eland 1983; US: Pantheon 1978) *''Voices of the Old Sea'' (Hamilton 1984; US: Viking 1985) *''Jackdaw Cake'' (Hamilton 1985; new edition by Eland 2013) – an autobiography *''A View of the World'' (Eland 1986) *''The Missionaries'' (Secker 1988; US: McGraw 1988) *''To Run Across the Sea'' (Cape 1989) *''A Goddess in the Stones: Travels in India'' (Cape 1991; US: Holt 1992) (

Thomas Cook Travel Book Award The Thomas Cook Travel Book Award originated as an initiative of Thomas Cook AG in 1980, with the aim of encouraging and rewarding the art of literary travel writing. The awards stopped in 2005 (2004 being the last year an award was given). As of 2 ...

) *''An Empire of the East: Travels in Indonesia'' (Cape 1993; US: Holt 1993) *''I Came I Saw'' (Picador 1994) – extended issue of 'Jackdaw Cake' *''The World, The World: Memoirs of a Legendary Traveler'' (Cape 1996; US: Holt 1997) *''The Happy Ant-Heap'' (Cape 1998) *''In Sicily'' (Cape 2000) *''A Voyage by Dhow'' (and other pieces) (Cape 2001) *''The Tomb in Seville'' (Cape 2003)

References

External links

Official website''Granta'': Articles on Lewis
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Norman 1908 births 2003 deaths English travel writers People from Enfield, London People educated at Enfield Grammar School British Army personnel of World War II 20th-century English novelists 21st-century British writers English male novelists English male journalists English journalists 20th-century English male writers Intelligence Corps soldiers