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May 2019

Issue 78 A Sort of Newsletter IN THIS ISSUE THE NEWSLETTER OF THE Editorial GRAHAM GREENE BIRTHPLACE TRUST Festival Preview Review Editorial Our Man Down in Havana Doesn’t time ﬂy? My memories of the 2018 Festival have scarcely In the News A few snippets faded (even at my age), and already the next one will soon be upon us. Festival Director Martyn Sampson has put together a superb Correspondence programme once again, and if it’s half as good as it looks, it will be Charles Henry Greene Greene and names splendid. Martyn’s own thorough Festival Preview is in this issue, so there is little to be said by me in addition. I would though repeat Miscellany Greene and Europe my message that the Festival is convivial and welcoming as well Brighton Rock blog as thought-provoking and engaging, so do get signed up. Come for GG Quiz Answers the whole Festival if you possibly can; encourage newcomers to A New Look give it a try; and make a special effort to get some folk half my age or less to come. February’s ASON featured Graham Greene’s father, Charles Henry Greene, twice. One was in a story about CH’s reaction to the Armistice in 1918; the other concerned a reference to him as a deeply unpopular headmaster. Nick Dennys, Greene’s nephew and Trust Patron, has taken up the cudgels on CH’s behalf, and you can see his fascinating remarks and research in this issue. A history of Berkhamsted School summarised CH’s contribution like this: ‘It may be that a school would hardly prosper if it had a whole series of headmasters of Charles Greene’s kind. But it is certain that Date for your Diary Berkhamsted even today is a better place for having had that This Year’s Festival: particular one.’ See what you think. 19 Sept – 22 Sept 2019 Mike Hill WEB SITE [email protected] Do not forget to visit the website of the Trust, at www.grahamgreenebt.org

The Graham Greene Birthplace Trust (Charity Number 1064839), a member of the Berkhamsted Arts Trust. PATRONS: Caroline Bourget, Andrew Bourget, Nicholas Dennys, Louise Dennys, Lucy Saunders. Friday’s events will take place in the Town Hall, and begin Festival Preview with a talk from Lucinda Cummings-Kilmer. Lucinda was Reflections on Greene research assistant to Norman Sherry on volumes I and III of his authorised biography of Greene (1989, 1994 and Martyn Sampson 2004). Having worked at a minute level with Sherry’s Welcome to this 2019 Festival Preview. The events will thousands of documents, files and photographs, Lucinda take place in the beautiful historic market town of describes herself as ‘an acolyte to genius’. She believes Berkhamsted, birthplace and home town of Graham that Sherry set the bar for pursuits in literary detective Greene. There are several thematic strands to this year’s work. In her talk, ‘Greene & Sherry: The Fox & The Hound’, event, including Greene’s comic satirical masterpiece Our Lucinda will explore Sherry’s passion for Greene. This Man in Havana (1958), his international influences, and includes explorations of the lengths Sherry would go to, the art of literary detection in general. Our main theme is to both research Greene and then confirm the details of Reflections on Greene , after Judith Adamson’s edition of that research. She writes that whether ‘getting sick in the Greene’s essays, Reflections (1990, 2014). This is so as to jungle, mountains or tropics chasing Graham, Norman Lucinda Cummings-Kilmer reflect the quality of thematic diversity itself, which would, was a truth detector and suffered greatly for his art.’ perhaps, be embraced by Greene, an author whose Lucinda’s talk will be followed by a paper from Kevin polymathic nature and quality of writing are universally Ruane, Professor of Modern History at Canterbury Christ admired. Take the time to meet and find out more about Church University. His 2016 book, Churchill and the Bomb , each of our speakers, all of whom would welcome your was placed among the ‘books of the year’ by BBC History conversation and questions. Martyn Sampson Magazine , as well as The Times . Kevin will complete a hat On Thursday, the Festival begins with a walk that traces trick of Festival appearances, as he pursues his interests the footsteps of Greene. ‘Berkhamsted: The Greene Guide’ in Greene’s role as journalist and explorer of issues in the is authored by Brian Shepherd, who has written four other Indochina region. Kevin’s talk is called ‘“It was our Bible”: guides to walks in and around the area. The walk will US Vietnam War-era Reporters (1965-1975) and the feature readings from Brian, Richard Shepherd and Judy impact of Graham Greene’s The Quiet American ’. For Mead, and is a repeat of that of last year. This occasion Kevin, Greene’s short and easy-to-carry novel served as a lived up to its promise as a brilliant adventure through a vital tool for Vietnam War reporters. The text, in part, Kevin Ruane small, special part of Greeneland, where it all began. Do enabled them to understand how the United States found take the opportunity to join us for our Festival opener. itself at war in a region about which many knew little. David Halberstam, the Pulitzer Prize winning journalist The evening will commence with our traditional Festival and historian, stated that Greene’s novel ‘was our Bible.’ supper in the Town Hall, a two-course meal that will be followed by a screening of Twenty-One Days (1940). The Friday afternoon begins with an interview by Mark Lawson film is adapted by a short story from John Galsworthy, of Bryony Lavery and Esther Richardson, titled: ‘ Brighton and is directed by Basil Dean and scripted by Greene and Rock : Wrestling a Wonderful Story from out of a Book and Dean. Its stars are Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh. The onto the Stage.’ An original stage adaptation of Greene’s film is unusual in that it was criticised by its very own classic ‘Catholic’ novel about a teenage gang in Brighton scriptwriter, our man, Greene. Mike Hill will provide an toured the UK from February to May 2018. Scripted by introduction. As well as commenting on Greene’s film Bryony and directed by Esther, the play received wide reviewing generally, Mike will suggest that there are merits critical acclaim, and is innovative in placing particular to the film after all! Mike Hill emphasis on the character of Ida Arnold. She is the bold, brassy amateur detective who is preoccupied with Bryony Lavery

2 32 matters of ‘right and wrong’. The play received an Quixote (1982): ‘When you have been a priest as long as I excellent review from Mark, who addressed the Festival have you will recognize a colleague. Even without his in 2004. Mark will ask a diverse series of questions, whose collar.’ One of David’s core questions is: ‘What makes foci will include theme, plot, theatrics and dramaturgy. Graham Greene's priests so recognisable, even in disguise Bryony is a British dramatist especially known for her play, or when deeply erring?’ Frozen (1998). This won the TMA best play award and the Eileen Anderson Central Television award. Esther is Friday will conclude with a screening of Our Man in Artistic Director of Pilot Theatre, and her work includes Havana (1959), directed by Carol Reed, scripted by Noughts and Crosses , with Pilot Theatre & Derby Theatre, Greene, and starring Alex Guinness. The film will be and Everything Must Go! , with Soho Theatre. She has introduced by Quentin Falk, freelance film critic and made two successful film shorts, The Cake and the magazine editor for more than 35 years. Quentin is author sensational Wings , about a young person’s ambition to of the award-nominated Travels in Greeneland: The join the RAF Esther Richardson Cinema of Graham Greene , now in its fourth edition. Quentin Falk (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZ1aJrHfYXk). This Quentin will explore the seeds of both the book and the led to her selection for Creative England’s iFeatures film, and discuss, especially, the fascination concerning scheme in 2012/13. An esteemed critic, broadcaster and the timing of the filming. Shot, as the film was, in Cuba novelist, Mark is best known for presenting Front Row on just after the Castro revolution, the action is set during the BBC Radio 4. He writes for the Guardian and presents the Batista regime. Quentin will also comment on the series Mark Lawson Talks To . . . on BBC Four. He has differences between past and contemporary viewings of twice been TV Critic of the Year. the film.

Concluding the talks on Friday will be The David Pearce Events on Saturday will take place in Berkhamsted School, Memorial Talk. This is an annual occasion to mark the starting with a presentation by Dr Chris Hull and Dr James legacy of the late David Pearce, and to remember the work Clifford Kent: ‘Vicious Cities: Shadows of The Third Man of many other wonderful individuals who have died. David in Our Man in Havana .’ Chris is Senior Lecturer in Spanish was a founding Trustee and an English Master at and Latin American Studies at the University of Chester. Berkhamsted School. Director of five Graham Greene He recently published Our Man Down in Havana: The Story International Festivals, David made a significant Mark Lawson Behind Graham Greene’s Cold War Spy Novel . James is Chris Hull contribution to the life of the Birthplace Trust and to the Lecturer in Hispanic Studies at Royal Holloway, University town of Berkhamsted. The talk will be given by Revd. of London, and is a practising photographer. His first book, Canon Emeritus Professor David Jasper of the University Aesthetics and the Revolutionary City: Real and Imagined of Glasgow. Professor Jasper has made a central Havana was published last year. Chris and James will contribution to the establishment of the field of literature mark the 60th anniversary of Reed and Greene’s Our Man and theology. He was the founding editor of the Oxford in Havana . They will also consider the other classic journal Literature and Theology and with Andrew Hass and production by Reed and Greene, The Third Man (1949), Elisabeth, edited T he Oxford Handbook of Literature and which has reached its 70th anniversary. Chris and James Theology (2009). His most recent book, Heaven in will explore the films in terms of both their successes and Ordinary (2018), considers poetry and religion in a secular their less acclaimed dimensions. They will consider the age. His talk is ‘The Priest in the Novels of Graham methods of production for each and the sensitive nature Greene: The Saint and the Sinner’. In support of his of the script for the later film. In doing so they ‘will identify approaches, David quotes Father Quixote, the protagonist the way both real and imagined spaces and places are in Greene’s light-hearted, religious novel Monsignor used to convey a sense of atmosphere.’ The talk could not David Jasper be more timely. 2019 marks the 500th anniversary of the James Clifford Kent

4 5 founding of the city of Havana. Additionally, as pointed out Photo credit:© Chloé Vollmer-Lo has partnered with the University of Manchester's Centre by Mike in the February ASON : ‘It is now sixty years since for New Writing to undertake the initiative. The judges will Cuban President Fulgencio Batista was overthrown by the be seeking quality, rather than imitations of Greene. The forces of Fidel Castro.’ winner will be awarded a prize of £500 and his or her entry will be published in the Manchester Literary Review . Dr This presentation will be followed by an interview by Creina Mansfield is coordinating the venture. She is a Brigitte Timmermann of the graphic novelists Jean-Luc Trustee and author of The Quiet Solider: Phuong’s Story Fromental and Miles Hyman. They recently published with (2014), a retelling of The Quiet American from the Titan Comics their brilliant graphic novel, The Prague perspective of its central female character, Phuong. Coup . This was set partly in Vienna at the time of the making of The Third Man , and features Greene as hero. The launch of the prize will be followed by a talk from You can check out a video that describes its making, on Sarah Rainsford, who has been a BBC foreign YouTube: Miles Hyman correspondent for seventeen years, beginning in Moscow. Creina Mansfield https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bldCW6BBcKk. Jean- She has been based in Istanbul and in Madrid, too, and Luc spent ten years publishing fiction, introducing such has also reported from Afghanistan, Iraq and Ukraine. In authors as Stephen King to French readers, before moving Photo credit:© Chloé Vollmer-Lo 2011, she was posted to Havana, and is now back in on to comics. He was editor for cult publisher Les Russia. In 2018, she published Our Woman in Havana: Humanïdes Associés, with whom he published Will Reporting Castro’s Cuba . In her talk, of the same title, she Eisner's A Contract With God . This is regarded by many as will explore the Havana Greene discovered in the mid- the very first modern graphic novel. With Miles, Jean-Luc 1950s. Sarah will consider, in part, its commonalities with wrote Broadway Chicken , which was included in the New her own experience of the city. She observes that her own York Times ’ list of notable children’s books. Miles is an office on Calle Lamparilla was but ‘a short distance from American author and artist whose work appears regularly the fictional vacuum cleaner shop of Greene’s hapless spy in well-known periodicals. They include The New York hero, Wormold’. Times, The International Herald Tribune, The Boston Globe and The New Yorker Magazine . Dr Brigitte Timmermann Sarah’s session will be followed by a talk by The Rt Hon is a festival regular and an expert on the history and Sir Vince Cable, the Leader of the Liberal Democrats 2017- production of The Third Man , about which she has written Jean-Luc Fromental 19. He was the M.P. for Twickenham from 1997 to 2015 Sarah Rainsford a book. Last October, she led Festivalites on a terrific, and has been so again since 2017. He was Secretary of memorable tour of the Vienna of the film. Brigitte’s State for Business, Innovation and Skills and President of interview of Jean-Luc and Miles is titled ‘What or who was the Board of Trade from 2010 to 2015, Deputy Leader of Portrait by Simon Broom The Third Man . . . and the vital question remains. . . .’ the Liberal Democrats from 2007-2010, and shadow Chancellor from 2003 to 2010. His book, The Storm: The Saturday afternoon will be divided into two parts. The mid- World Economic Crisis and What It Means (2009), a afternoon session will commence with the launch of the bestseller, offers an explanation of the 2008 world Graham Greene Film Review Prize. Greene was a brilliant, financial crash and how Britain should respond. In his talk, prolific film reviewer. His film writings are collected in The ‘Politics and the Novel’, Vince will Pleasure Dome: The Collected Film Criticism 1935-40 look at politicians who have written novels and (1972) and The Graham Greene Film Reader: Mornings in novelists who have written about the political the Dark (1993). The aim of this prize is to further enhance world (mainly but not exclusively about the UK). Greene’s reputation and widen knowledge of his work, Many others, Greene included, have written about particularly in the field of education. The competition is the context in which the political debate is framed. open to anyone over the age of eighteen, and the Trust Brigitte Timmermann As a politician who has tiptoed into the world of Vince Cable

6 7 fiction I am fascinated by the connections (and by Photo credit: Caroline Forbes Norwegian writer Nordahl Grieg’. Johanne will explore the the current phenomenon of a steep fall in demand friendship between the two writers, a topic little for fiction because the real world is so impossible, considered in individual biographies. The friendship, which and scary). began in 1932, lasted until Grieg’s untimely death in 1943. Johanne will be introduced by Ian Thomson, who taught This is a talk not to be missed. Johanne in the UEA. Ian is an award-winning biographer, reporter, translator and literary critic. His biography of The late afternoon session will begin with a toast to mark Primo Levi, Primo Levi: A Life (2002) won the Royal Society the birthday of Graham Greene, 2 October 1904, a of Literature’s W.H. Heinemann Award. In 2006, he moment that the Birthplace Trust commemorates published his excellent edition of Greene’s writings, annually. That will be followed by a talk by another Articles of Faith: The Collected Tablet Journalism of distinguished speaker, Geoffrey Wansell. Geoffrey is an Graham Greene . He addressed the Greene Festivals in author of books on true crime. He was the official 2004, 2006 and 2012. biographer of the Herefordshire-born serial killer Frederick Geoffrey Wansell Tamás Molnár West. Geoffrey has also published Pure Evil: Inside the Johanne’s talk will be followed by that of Professor Tamás Minds and Crimes of Britain’s Worst Criminals (2018) and Molnár, who will be introduced by Dr Ramón Porta. Tamás Lifers: Inside the Minds of Britain's Most Notorious is a Hungarian thoracic surgeon with wide international Criminals (2016). He is presenter of the CBS Reality Series, clinical and scientific background, including periods spent Murder by the Sea , and has appeared as an expert in the UK. Ramón, also a thoracic surgeon, is a Festival commentator on Voice of a Serial Killer . Geoffrey regular. They have each had lifelong interests in the work considers himself to be ‘a true inhabitant of Greeneland’. of Greene. For Tamás, this led to academic research that As well as having written three books about murderers, earned him an MA Degree in History from the University he has acted as a reviewer of crime and thriller fiction for of Pécs, Hungary. Tamás’s talk is ’Graham Greene's the Daily Mail . He has made over 80 hours of television Hungarian Connection’. Greene visited Hungary in 1975 about killers. In his talk, ‘Where is the line between true at the invitation of his friend, László Róbert, a Hungarian crime and crime fiction?’ he will take us on ‘a journey journalist, whom Ramón interviewed at the 2007 Festival. through my own career to illustrate my thesis that you Róbert published in Hungarian, in 1988, his account of cannot have crime fiction without true crime, and that true Greene’s four day visit behind the Iron Curtain. Tamás will Johanne Elster Ramón Porta crime – often – feeds on fictional characters.’ The day’s explore the details of Greene’s relationship with Hungary events will conclude with a three-course meal in the at a particular point in time. Our Festival events will stunning surroundings of Old Hall of Berkhamsted School. conclude with a farewell lunch in Old Hall.

Sunday’s festivities begin with an opportunity to take a Roger Watkins will supplement the main programme by tour of the sites of Berkhamsted School that were special providing a session to Sixth Form students of to Greene. They include the Chapel, Old Hall, the Exhibition Berkhamsted School on the Thursday afternoon. In his Room, and the infamous green baize door. Berkhamsted talk, ‘Espionage and Farce: Jim Wormold and Graham School Archivist, Lesley Koulouris, will conduct the tour. Greene in Havana’, Roger will use Greene’s novel, Our Man This will be followed by the first talk by Johanne Elster in Havana , as his base text. He will also employ Greene’s Hanson in the VI Form Centre of Berkhamsted School. screenplay to Reed’s film adaptation. Roger will focus on Johanne is a student of the University of East Anglia Greene’s interests in the political and social situation in (UEA). She grew up in Norway, and wrote her dissertation Cuba immediately prior to the revolution led by Fidel on the friendship between Greene and the Norwegian Castro. Roger is especially interested in the influence of writer Nordahl Grieg. Johanne’s talk is ‘Scandinavians are fiction upon the political spectrum, particularly by way of terribly Scandinavian: Graham Greene’s friendship with Ian Thomson humour and satire. Roger Watkins

8 9 So, we have shades of reflectiveness, reflections, and reflections on reflections – a veritable hall of mirrors, in which Festival-goers may pursue all manner of different leads and ideas. As Review always, friendship is the foundation of the Festival. Our hope, as an organising team, is that Our Man Down in Havana: The Story Behind Graham you thoroughly enjoy all the fun of the fair, especially if you are visiting for the first time. From Greene’s Cold War Spy Novel by Christopher Hull wherever you begin, and however you conclude, we hope that all of your wishes and dreams Pegasus Books, New York and London, 2019 come true. Sandwiched between The Quiet American (1955) and A I would like to finish with our promise to address your feedback on the questionnaire from the Burnt-Out Case (1961) in the Greene canon, it is surprising 2018 Festival. This had an excellent response, for which we are truly thankful. There were to find that there was a considerable slump in the early several themes that ran throughout the feedback, and a detailed write-up will be posted to the sales’ figures for Our Man in Havana (see below). Did its website of the Trust. One common theme was to address the biographical dimensions of classification as an ‘Entertainment’ deter his ‘serious’ Greene’s life by either inviting or discussing key persons. In response, the Festival talks will readership or was the muted, critical reception of the 1959 open with a session by Lucinda. There were requests for plenty of different scholars and film to blame? Whatever the reason, its popularity has speakers, some of whom could be young. Many of our speakers this year are visiting for the endured down the years being now one of the best-known first time, and some are at the start of their critical and creative ventures and enquiries. There Greene titles: the expression ‘Our man in -’ is firmly etched were also requests for detailed critiques of Greene’s novels and the short stories, particularly in the vernacular. The full title of Chris Hull’s book directs by way of themes such as espionage and concerns of an international nature. Most, if not all that we should regard it as more than a rather slight tale of the talks and presentations will, to a greater or lesser degree, touch on these dimensions. of a failed vacuum cleaner salesman’s attempt to deceive the British Secret Services. Greene’s portrayal of the last Screenings of different films were requested. Twenty-One Days is being shown for the first days of an old-fashioned and cruel banana-republic before its takeover by thrusting, Marxist- time. There was a showing of Our Man in Havana , whose digital remastering the Trust leaning revolutionaries, provides an important record of life in the middle years of the Cold War sponsored, in 2006. The screening then included pauses, all of which are excised for our when the old order and certainties were being finally brushed aside. showing. There was a request for insights into Greene’s role as film auteur. Chris and James are set to address elements of this topic. Additionally, in response to your comments: A: we Much of the opening chapters of Hull’s book will be familiar to experienced Greene readers as are addressing Greene’s role as critic and journalist and focusing on Greene in the context of he takes us through the author’s difficult childhood, his struggles to survive as a full-time writer literary diversity. B: all of our speakers will pursue original threads and interests. C: there will in the 1930s and his trajectory to success both during and after World War II. However, it is be plenty of opportunity for students from around the area to engage with the Festival, in part, clear throughout that the author is not aiming at an exclusively ‘Greene’ coterie. Nor is this book by branching off from Roger’s session. D: there are more female speakers, with half of the talks a discreet literary study either. Instead, in the first third we are served with a summary of the being, either in full or in part, by women. A respondent requested content on Agatha Christie. author’s life within the broader historical context, supported by acute and well-chosen insights On Saturday, Helen Boden will repeat her print sale that featured in the Festivals in 2017 and into Greene’s character in the years leading up to the moment when he stepped on Cuban soil 2018, when she will sell original prints inspired by both Greene and Christie. The sound quality in 1954 to, ‘properly discover the sinful city’ of Havana. of the screening of the film in the Town Hall in 2018 was cited as an issue. We are therefore showing there the shorter of our two films, Twenty-One Days . One respondent requested a Greene visited Cuba no fewer than twelve times, the first a very brief stopover in 1938. It was Greene panto! Alas, this has proven to be a stretch too far. . . . Further to Greene’s course of the second of three short stays in 1954 that alerted his senses to the seemingly limitless treatment as a schoolboy with the Jungian psychoanalyst, Kenneth Richmond, another hedonistic possibilities offered by the capital city. When he returned in 1957 he found several respondent requested exploration of Greene, dreams and psychotherapy. key, creative touchstones for his novel. The same visit climaxed with a failed attempt to make contact with Fidel Castro’s elusive rebels hiding in the Sierra Maestra hills near Cuba’s second We sincerely hope you relish each and every part of the Festival programme. Across its delivery, city, Santiago de Cuba. Crucially, it also awakened in Greene the realisation that the island was may you find anew and discover afresh the joys, pleasures and wonders of Greene. not just a debauched, capitalist playground. He began to discover for himself the extent of the wider political and ideological struggle of the masses beginning to take place across much of Martyn Sampson Central and South America at the time. This was to occupy a good deal of his thinking and writing throughout the latter part of his life.

10 11 One of the true high points of the book is Hull’s description of the morning walk Greene took In the News through the Havana backstreets and his sighting of the ‘honey coloured girl with a pony tail’ who was to become Milly. His use of Greene’s unpublished 1957 journal at this point brings A few snippets vividly to life the growing confidence of a writer struggling to overcome both misgivings about The February edition of the magazine History Today carried an article by Clive Elmsley with the attempting a satirical novel about the intelligence services he knew so well and the agonies of title ‘The Real Third Man: Policing Postwar Vienna’. It contains much background to the Greene his private life at the time. At this key stage in the novel’s creation, Hull makes judicious use of novel and film, and touches on a ‘Calloway’ figure. the Catherine Walston correspondence, resisting the temptation Greene’s biographers have shown for allowing the spectre of his mistress to monopolise their attempted recreation of the In early February, the annual ‘Books to the Big Screen’ festival was held in Albuquerque, New writer’s thoughts and behaviour. Mexico, and focused entirely on films made from Greene novels. Shown at the festival were Our Man in Havana , Travels With My Aunt , the 1955 The End of the Affair and Ministry of Fear . Greene’s Pythian-like ability to foretell the Cuban Missile Crisis is a celebrated feature of the novel. What is much less well known is the influence the writer brought to bear to help halt Also in February came the launch by Miller Harris of a new British arms sales to Cuba on the very eve of the revolution. Chris Hull explores this disastrous perfume, called Violet Ida. It was inspired, Metro reported, foreign policy decision against the background of the then recent Suez Crisis which had ‘by the “big heart” of Ida Arnold, the trailblazing female exposed the country’s impotence in the face of America’s pre-eminence as a superpower. Much detective in Graham Greene’s Brighton Rock , who wore later in Our Man Down in Havana , there is a fascinating parallel drawn between the false violets in her hair. With notes of bergamot, heliotrope, intelligence promulgated by Britain’s secret services regarding Iraq’s supposed weapons of vanilla and amber, this is a warm, sweet scent described mass destruction and Greene’s fictional, amateur spy James Wormold created all those years as a “powdered kiss at the end of the pier”.’ As Metro previously. commented, ‘Blimey’. A snip at £75.

Make no mistake, this book bears practically no relation to Sarah Rainsford’s Our Woman in In February, the Hotel Metropole in Hanoi was used as a Havana published late last year. Rainsford’s admirable work simply uses Greene’s Our Man as venue for a meeting between President Trump and North a hook for her journalistic-styled study of modern Cuba and the socialist experiment of the Korea’s Kim Jong-un. It is now known as the Sofitel Castro brothers’ era. Our Man Down in Havana comes complete with index, informative Legend Metropole, and has suites named after famous endnotes and some excellent photographs many of which will not have been seen before. It people who stayed there, including Somerset Maugham, has been meticulously researched using a wide range of primary and secondary sources of Charlie Chaplin and Graham Greene. As the Guardian information. commented, ‘Graham Greene stayed at Hanoi’s century- old Metropole hotel while writing The Quiet American . Indeed it forms part of a welcome trend in Graham Greene research, away from the familiar Donald Trump is probably not the man he had in mind.’ literary and theological themes. Bernard Diederich ( The Comedians ), Carlos Villar Flor (Monsignor Quixote ), Kevin Ruane ( The Quiet American ), Michael Meeuwis ( A Burnt-Out Case ) In March came the news that this year and now Christopher Hull – note the Brit minority! – are all, with the aid of the passage of time, is the 175th anniversary of now able to exploit the outcomes of the writer’s insatiable wanderlust and explore different Nottingham’s Pugin-designed St aspects of his writings within an historical context. This, yet again, exposes the sheer breadth Barnabas Cathedral. Given Graham of Greene’s achievement and serves to highlight his continuing popularity and the opportunities Greene’s links with the city, he is it affords for further investigation into his life and work. included in the year-long events – in October, there will be a Graham Greene [Note: The Quiet American (1955-1973) 128,582 copies; Our Man in Havana (1958-1973) 84,566; Creative Writing Workshop in the city. A Burnt-Out Case (1961-1973)145,602. Official sales figures supplied by William Heinemann More news as we get it. Ltd.] Jon Wise

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12 13 Correspondence where he found grounds for empathy in opposing places and viewpoints. This Charles Henry Greene was certainly a deep embarrassment, but it enlarged his sympathies. ASON readers will remember the excellent article Prediction Fulfilled? in our February issue, in which the original Festival Director, Roger Watkins, told us all about the press interest generated ‘One where he was despised by boys but by the inaugural event in 1998. One phrase in the article, about Graham Greene’s headmaster had to share their view of the "deeply father Charles Henry Greene, produced a response from Graham’s nephew and Birthplace Trust unpopular" headmaster would have Patron Nick Dennys, as follows: been a completely different balance of feeling. It would have produced much ‘I was very surprised to read his comment that Graham's father was a "deeply unpopular more bitter novels I suspect!’ headmaster". It may be a bit much for a headmaster to be its opposite "popular" let alone "deeply", but I had never heard such a characterisation of Charles Henry. Greatly respected and Moreover, Nick later added, sometimes affectionately "the dear old turtle" [a phrase used about him by Peter Quennell] seemed more the mood.’ ‘One of the things that has always seemed indicative to me, is that we all Nick followed this up with these observations about Graham’s father: knew Graham was rapidly responsive, both in comprehension and emotionally, ‘One memoirist said there was only one occasion when he saw him chastise a boy, who he to situations and people. He felt things clipped around the head in front of the school. The boy was then summoned to his study full markedly. Both his younger brother of trepidation only to find himself being profusely apologised to. He had a reputation as a liberal Hugh and older, Raymond, no slouches headmaster. This included abolishing the right of senior boys to cane other boys. Quite unusual themselves, were at Berkhamsted also for the time. Though after he left it was probably reinstated fairly quickly and they were still and, though Hugh, I seem to remember, caning when I was a boy there in the 1960s. Certainly there was never a whiff of habitual anger didn't like being at school, neither of mentioned in the family.’ them experienced it as hellish nor even So, Nick enquired, what was the source of the phrase? Roger responded as follows: remarked much on the situation of being the headmaster's son. They seem to have both been confident students - "successful students" someone called them. It was only Graham who felt ‘This phrase occurs in the article by David Prest in The Independent newspaper of 28 September the divide of the green baize door markedly. It gave him divided loyalties and so [he was] 1998. The full paragraph in which it occurs reads as follows: bullyable, as it were, by Carter, and perhaps a nervous breakdown, whatever that means. For ‘“The guide text for the Greene walking tour [of Berkhamsted] is the first volume of his Graham much began in Berkhamsted and he quoted Conrad for the epigram of The Human autobiography A Sort of Life . The early chapters give an insight into what it was like growing Factor , certainly about divided loyalty, "I only know that he who forms a tie is lost. The germ of up as the son of the deeply unpopular headmaster of Berkhamsted School, being cold corruption has entered into his soul". My understanding is that it never had anything much to shouldered and ignored by other boys and making several inept attempts at suicide before do with the character of Charles Henry. It was a situation that Graham was sensitive to in a running away from school. This alienation and resentment of institutions stayed with Greene way that the others were less so, it seems. He felt a tie, perhaps, on both sides of the green for the rest of his life, and inspired many of his characters, from the teenage thugs in Brighton baize door.’ Rock to the authoritarians of The Ministry of Fear .”’ Fundamentally, Nick knew from his ‘own recollection from the family’ that Prest was wrong, The paragraph produced a reaction from Nick, who believed that Prest was fundamentally and believed that Prest had misinterpreted Greene’s own writing in A Sort of Life : wrong in his judgements. Here are Nick’s fascinating thoughts on Prest’s idea: ‘There is nothing in A Sort of Life from my recollection other than a certain wariness of Graham ‘Apart from anything else it alters the nature of Graham's conflict. As he himself presented it, towards a father he only understood later when he was one himself. I think David Prest must he was caught between the world of the Headmaster and his family on one side, beyond the have just had a blip and interpreted the intimate bullying of Carter towards Graham as caused green baize door, and the boys on the other side i.e. he was close to both. This led to novels by the character of CH rather than by the character of Carter.’

14 15 To substantiate his view of Prest’s misreading of A Sort of Life , Nick offered examples from From Jeremy Lewis, Shades of Greene : the book giving insights into Charles Greene’s character, and his son’s relationship to him. For readers who wish to follow up the full references, I have included Nick’s own page references: ‘(p.35) Reports Hugh's recollection of a misunderstanding which was the only occasion his father, "a kind and liberal though often, I think, bewildered man, ever beat me." ‘(p.43) The story of the gardener who let the heater die in the greenhouse and destroyed the orchids and Greene's response. ‘Chapter 4 gives a wonderful view of the character of CH and several views by Cockburn (there is a fuller picture of CH in Cockburn’s autobiography I Claud ), Quennell and others and is ‘(p.46) GG's comment that his father, unlike his mother, was "quite without social prejudice". perhaps the clearest antidote to the view that he was "deeply unpopular".

‘(p.72) His reason for not siding with the boys against his father and brother Raymond, by then ‘Lewis’s anthology of views is on the powerful idiosyncrasy of CH is corroborated by the Patrick head of house, was the desire not to betray them. It was a balanced conflict not a one-sided Cockburn piece [referred to in ASON 77 , February 2019, with a link on the Trust website].’ one against authority. Finally, Nick refers to A History of Berkhamsted School by Basil Garnons Williams (Nick’s own ‘(p.90) After being brought home from his flight to the common, ".... my father sitting on the headmaster when he was there) and its ’thorough chapter on Greene’: bed and interrogating me seriously and tenderly..." ‘There is no hint of the "deeply unpopular" and his summary of the years of the 1st WW is: "... ‘(p.111-114) There is a rather nice description of his father's teaching by GG, Cockburn and he emerged from the nightmare years with enhanced reputation. No one thought of him now Quennell from CH's habit of talking while lying on his back with his mortarboard over his eyes. as Fry's hardly adequate successor. He was very much in charge of things, an object to many Their shared love of Browning, GG's favourite poet.’ of affection, to everybody of respect". He quotes an ex-schoolboy’s memoir that "liberalism was his outstanding characteristic .... His conception of government in a school was to reduce To give further substance to his argument, Nick then quoted from several other sources on regulations to a minimum - to rule by personality, example, and the creation of ‘tone’." ’ Charles Henry Greene: Williams’s summary of Charles Greene at the end of the chapter is, Nick pointed out, From Richard Greene, A Life in Letters : ‘incompatible with a deeply unpopular figure’:

‘(p. 121) GG to his mother on CH's death: "I can't write about how sorry and sad I feel: he was “He was a competent administrator; … he was an effective leader; … but as a teacher he was a very good person in a way we don't seem to be able to produce in our generation..." much more. He was inspiring and inspired … R.S. Stanier [a former pupil under CH] remarked … ‘Through his learning, taste, insight and enthusiasm he opened doors to us, and invited, not ‘(p.123) Letter to Raymond on CH's death "... his rather noble old liberalism was always inclined compelled us to pass through.’ ” to make one bring out one's cynicism stronger than need have been." Many thanks to Nick Dennys for getting in touch, for his insights, and for his conscientious ‘(p.386) Letter to Roald Dahl on reading the horrors of school reported in Boy : "I was shocked research on Charles Henry Greene too by all the beatings and I realize now even more what an advanced man my father was as Headmaster of Berkhamsted. No prefects or fagging there."’ Nick re-emphasises, on this point: Greene and names ‘Charles got rid of these on taking over but these practices were immediately restored by the Our old friend Cedric Watts has been in touch to suggest the origin of the name of one of next headmaster in 1927 and fagging and beatings by prefects were still in place when I was Greene’s characters: there from 1963 to 1969.’ ‘In Graham Greene’s novel The Name of Action , the villain is a Jew called Kapper, who is From Michael Tracey, A Variety of Lives : associated with revolution, murder, bawdily reductive satire, the sordid underworld, and with ‘(p.10): Cecil Parrott on Berkhamsted School - criticising CH's unworldly innocence (also widespread vice and fornication. He opposes a dictator who has tried to introduce a puritanical commented on by Raymond), "It was supposed to be an extremely clean school - the whole regime. When Kapper is victorious, the prostitutes emerge from hiding and saturnalia can atmosphere was a very gentle one. The tone of the school was extremely good compared with begin. other public schools and in a way I do not think one was encouraged to wake up to the facts ‘The name ‘Kapper’ is virtually a homophone of the Latin word caper , meaning ‘goat’; and, of of life ... at least I was not." ’

16 17 course, the goat is traditionally associated with sexual lust. (‘Goats and monkeys!’ exclaims Brighton Rock blog the jealous Othello.) So this may be further evidence of Greene’s fondness for playing games A rather different take on Brighton Rock , by Barry Taylor, can be found in the following blog: with names.’ https://blogs.bl.uk/english-and-drama/2019/01/graham-greene-and-the-curse-of-the-sausage- And while we’re on Greene’s names, let your editor add another interesting one I noticed roll-an-image-of-class-and-disgust-in-brighton-rock.html recently. In the short story ‘The Dot and Line Alphabet’ by the American author Edward Everett Hale, published in 1858, there is a reference to a young girl answering in class what the capital Graham Greene Quiz 2019: Answers of Brazil is. She is ‘pretty little Mabel Warren’. Separate characters with that name appear, of 1. The Case for the Defence course, in both the Greene short story ‘The End of the Party’ (1929) and the novel Stamboul Train (1932); the ﬁrst is a thirteen-year-old girl, the second an adult. Just a coincidence, or had 2. The Basement Room Greene read Hale’s story and lifted the name – twice? 3. The Innocent Miscellany 4. When Greek Meets Greek 5. The Destructors Greene and Europe 6. Proof Positive Readers may remember that my editorial in the last issue of ASON quoted Graham Greene’s 7. Brother thoughts on ‘a so-called united Europe’ in 1988. Since at the time of writing Brexit is still exercising us all, it might be worth looking at the other end of the process. In January 1963, 8. Jubilee Encounter magazine published the second part of its ‘Symposium on Europe’, where it invited 9. The End of the Party members of the intelligentsia (as it put it) to comment on the proposal that Britain should join 10. Alas, Poor Maling the European Economic Community, or Common Market. Here is Graham Greene’s contribution: 11. The Hint of an Explanation 12. A Little Place off the Edgware Road As a materialist two points interest me in the Common Market and incline me in its favour. 13. A Day Saved 14. Men at Work 1. Dollar and sterling used to be the two great international exchanges of the world, and of recent years the dollar area has had far more power than the sterling area. If joining 15. The Second Death the Common Market means that the pound will be supported by the gold reserves of 16. A Drive in the Country the Six the City of London has again the chance to recover its old position. I have no 17. Across the Bridge idea whether this is the case or not. 18. I Spy 2. The Six are all proceeding rapidly towards greater industrialisation. France can barely 19. Special Duties feed herself, West Germany is not in a position to feed herself, and after an initial period of diﬃculty it seems to me likely that there will be a great market in the industrialised 20. A Chance for Mr Lever Europe for the food products of the Commonwealth. 21. The Blue Film

3. The political federalisation of Europe is unlikely to arrive in a middle-aged man’s I’m delighted to report that there was a bigger than usual entry for this year’s quiz. Several lifetime, so that the dream of the third power (entertained by the United States in the entrants clearly relished the chance to read, or re-read, Greene’s tales in Twenty-One Stories , Far East when it suited them) is unlikely to be a practical issue. But it does seem to me and all entries were faultlessly correct. Your editor quickly found a hat to pull names out of, that an economic third power, free to make economic arrangements not only with the and the winners were David Young of London and Richard Frost (yes, that one) of Berkhamsted. under-developed countries but with the countries of Eastern Europe free from American They both win a copy of Sarah Rainsford’s Our Woman in Havana . Many thanks to all those pressure, is highly to be desired. who entered.

Many thanks to Jon Wise for bringing Greene’s contribution to the debate to my attention.

18 19 A New Look Finally, all readers will have noticed that this issue of ASON is in a new design. So, a little background.

The newsletter has morphed several times over the years. What became ASON was ﬁrst issued, as an annual publication, in Spring 1998, in the run-up to the very ﬁrst Greene Festival. In those days it was A4 in format, entirely in black and white, and had the snappy title GRAHAM GREENE BIRTHPLACE TRUST FRIENDS’ NEWSLETTER . In Summer 2000 it became a quarterly publication, with my predecessor Yan Christensen at the helm. The colour green had been added to the A4 front page, a version of Greene’s ‘GG’ initials added to the masthead, and – masterly move (by Yan?) – the newsletter was now called A Sort of Newsletter . There was a front page list of contents, and an editorial.

From the Winter issue of 2007 came a major change. ASON was now in an A5 format, with new curly lettering on its masthead and a more realistic version of the ‘GG’ squiggle. (I have to admit that at least one of our readers was puzzled for years why the Trust had ’SS’ as part of its logo.) I inherited this format when I took over as editor in Autumn 2010 and have run with it ever since – only introducing numbered issues from issue 47, August 2011, and with month of publication rather than season.

By this year it was evident that the design needed a makeover. The Trust is now regularly publishing other material – including an annual Festival leaﬂet and a Festival brochure – and has a (super) website. All had their own visual styles and formats, and the Trust decided that a new, common visual identity was needed. Designer James Barnardo came up with three possible new logos for the Trust, and Trustees decided on which was best. You can see the new logo at the top left-hand corner of this ASON , and the rest of the newsletter has been redesigned with the new look in mind. The Trust website will follow in due course. All at the Trust hope you like the new look.

And all that allows me to boast that in order to write this piece I had to look back at my complete collection of all 77 (now 78) issues of the newsletter. Has anyone else got a full set, right back to 1998?

Mike Hill

The Graham Greene Birthplace Trust is a member of the Berkhamsted Arts Trust Literary Editor: Neil Sinyard Correspondence to Mike Hill, The Fairways, Keighley Road, Denholme, Bradford, BD13 4JT Trust Oﬃce: Graham Greene Birthplace Trust, 9 Briar Way, Berkhamsted, HP4 2JJ No responsibility will be accepted for any errors or omissions made by writers or interviewees Views expressed are not necessarily the views of The Graham Greene Birthplace Trust