Stephen McKenna (27 February 1888 – 26 September 1967) was an English novelist who wrote forty-seven novels, mostly focusing on English upper-class society, and six non-fiction titles. He published his first novel, ''The Reluctant Lover'', in 1912. His best-known novel, ''Sonia: Between Two Worlds'', was published in 1917. It was the
tenth best-selling novel for 1918 in the United States, and also made into a British film
of the same name in 1921.
McKenna was the son of Leopold and Ellen McKenna. He was educated at
Westminster School
(God Gives the Increase)
, established = Earliest records date from the 14th century, refounded in 1560
, type = Public school Independent day and boarding school
, religion = Church of England
, head_label = Hea ...
(Scholar), London, and at
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church ( la, Ædes Christi, the temple or house, '' ædēs'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, the college is uniqu ...
(Exhibitioner).
He gained a second-class honours degree in history at Oxford in 1909. After graduation, he taught briefly at Westminster School but found teaching uncongenial.
Independent means allowed him to travel in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America.
[ He was medically unfit for active service during the First World War but worked in the War Trade Intelligence Department, 1915–19, and served in ]Arthur Balfour
Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour, (, ; 25 July 184819 March 1930), also known as Lord Balfour, was a British Conservative Party (UK), Conservative statesman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1902 to 1905. As F ...
's Mission to the United States of America, 1917.[
The partly autobiographical ''While I Remember'' (1921) conveys a flavour of McKenna's early years, including his time at Oxford.
The satirical moral inversion in McKenna's ''Confessions of a Well-Meaning Woman'' was acknowledged by ]C.S. Lewis
CS, C-S, C.S., Cs, cs, or cs. may refer to:
Job titles
* Chief Secretary (Hong Kong)
* Chief superintendent, a rank in the British and several other police forces
* Company secretary, a senior position in a private sector company or public se ...
as an influence on the latter's Screwtape letters: "the blacks all white and the whites all black".
McKenna's ''The Oldest God'' (1926) is a philosophical fantasy novel featuring the god Pan.Alexander Teixeira de Mattos
Alexander Louis Teixeira de Mattos (April 9, 1865 – December 5, 1921), known as Alexander Teixeira de Mattos, was a Dutch-English journalist, literary critic and publisher, who gained his greatest fame as a translator.
Early life
The Teix ...
, the Dutch journalist who translated books from many languages into English, a.o. Louis Couperus
Louis Marie-Anne Couperus (10 June 1863 – 16 July 1923) was a Dutch novelist and poet. His oeuvre contains a wide variety of genres: lyric poetry, psychological and historical novels, novellas, short stories, fairy tales, feuilletons and ske ...
, whom McKenna befriended in 1921.
His uncle was Reginald McKenna
Reginald McKenna (6 July 1863 – 6 September 1943) was a British banker and Liberal politician. His first Cabinet post under Henry Campbell-Bannerman was as President of the Board of Education, after which he served as First Lord of the Admiral ...
, Chancellor of the Exchequer
The chancellor of the Exchequer, often abbreviated to chancellor, is a senior minister of the Crown within the Government of the United Kingdom, and head of His Majesty's Treasury. As one of the four Great Offices of State, the Chancellor is ...
under H. H. Asquith
Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, (12 September 1852 – 15 February 1928), generally known as H. H. Asquith, was a British statesman and Liberal Party politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom f ...
, of whom he published a biography in 1948, ''Reginald McKenna, 1863-1943: A Memoir''.
His clubs were the Reform and the Garrick. For a considerable portion of his adult life he lived at 11 Stone Buildings, Lincoln's Inn, London.[
]
Works
* ''The Reluctant Lover'', (1913)
* ''Shelia Intervenes'', (1914)
* ''The Sixth Sense'', (1915)
* ''Ninety-Six Hours' Leave'', (1917)
* ''Sonia, Between Two Worlds'', (1917)
* ''Midas And Son'', (1919)
* ''Sonia Married'', (1919)
* ''Lady Lilith'', The Sensationalists part 1, (1920)
* ''While I Remember'', (1921)
* ''The Education Of Eric Lane'', The Sensationalists part 2, (1921)
* ''The Secret Victory'', The Sensationalists part 3, (1921)
* ''Tex: A Chapter In The Life Of Alexander Teixeira De Mattos'', (1922)
* ''The Confessions Of A Well-Meaning Woman'', (1922)
* ''By Intervention Of Providence'', (1923)
* ''Vindcation'', (1923)
* ''Soliloquy'', (1923)
* ''The Commandment Of Moses'', (1923)
* ''To-morrow And To-morrow'', (1924)
* ''Tales Of Intrigue And Revenge'', (1924)
* ''An Affair Of Honour'', (1925)
* ''The Oldest God'', (1926)
* ''Saviours Of Society'', (1926)
* ''Due Reckoning'', (1927)
* ''The Secretary Of State'', (1927)
* ''The Shadow Of Guy Denver'', (1928)
* ''Divided Allegiance'', (1928)
* ''The Unburied Dead'', (1928)
* ''The Datchley Inheritance'', (1929)
* ''Between The Lines'', (1929)
* ''Happy Ending'', (1929)
* ''The Redemption Of Morley Darville'', (1930)
* ''The Cast-Iron Duke'', (1930)
* ''Dermotts Rampant'', (1931)
* ''Beyond Hell'', (1931)
* ''The Way Of The Phoenix'', (1932)
* ''Superstition'', (1932)
* ''Pandora's Box And Other Stories'', (1932)
* ''Namesakes'', (1933)
* ''Magic Quest'', (1933)
* ''Portrait Of His Excellency'', (1934)
* ''The Undiscovered Country'', (1934)
* ''Sole Death'', (1935)
* ''Lady Cynthia Clandon's Husband'', (1936)
* ''While Of Sound Mind'', (1936)
* ''The Home That Jill Broke'', (1937)
* ''Last Confession'', (1937)
* ''Breasted Amazon'', (1938)
* ''Paganism And Pagan Survivals In Spain...Visigothic Kingdom'', (1938)
* ''A Life For A Life'', (1939)
* ''Mean, Sensual Man'', (1943)
* ''Not Necessarily For Publication'', (c1943)
* ''A Brief History Of The Church'', (1946)
* ''Modern Missions In South America'', (1947)
* ''Reginald McKenna, 1863-1943'', (1948)
* ''Not Necessarily For Publication'', (1949)
* ''Pearl Wedding'', (1951)
* ''Life's Eventime'', (1954)
* ''Saint Hilary Of Poitiers: The Trinity'', (1954)
* ''That Dumb Loving'', (1957)
* ''A Place In The Sun'', (1962)
Source:
References
External links
Stephen McKenna Papers
University of Delaware
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{{DEFAULTSORT:McKenna, Stephen
1888 births
1967 deaths
20th-century English male writers
20th-century British short story writers
20th-century English novelists
English fantasy writers
English male novelists
English male short story writers
English short story writers