Arnold Bennett – the Edwardian David Bowie?

To celebrate the birth 150 years ago of Arnold Bennett Audlem District History Society were extremely privileged to have as their speaker, last Thursday, Professor Ray Johnson MBE- Vice President of the Arnold Bennett Society.
Ray illustrated his talk with excerpts from some of the DVDs that he has made highlighting various aspects of the writer's life.

Arnold Bennett was born in modest surroundings in Hanley in May 1867.
He briefly worked for his solicitor father but this was an unhappy relationship and could possibly have been the cause of his terrible stammer. Bennett is quoted as saying 'The pen is my means of communication'.
Bennett moved to London originally as a solicitor's clerk when he was 21 but after winning a literary prize began to write prodigiously, up to half a million words a year, not only books but plays, films, articles and, during World War 1, leaflets whilst Head of Propaganda in France. His most productive period was whilst he was living in Fontainebleau.

He acknowledged that he wrote for money- many of his works we would today call soaps. At (one point he had 3 plays being performed at the same time in the West End earning him more money than his books.)

Bennett never returned to live in the Potteries (whilst travelling through on the train he pulled down the blinds to avoid seeing his surroundings) but his early life there was the background for many of his works. Clayhanger was based on Bennett's father and Edwin on himself. The pottery described in 'Anna of the Five Towns' is Middleport. ( Bennett did not forget Fenton- the 6th town -- he preferred the sound of the word 5).

In 1902 Bennett wrote 'The Grand Babylon Hotel' loosely based on The Savoy Hotel, London (where he had been staying). Whilst there the chefs created the omelette Arnold Bennett which is still served there to this day.

'The Old Wives Tale' written in 1908 was also published in America and put Bennett on the way to fame and fortune.

He died in London in 1931 from typhoid contracted in Paris. During his illness the streets outside his flat were covered in straw to deaden the noise.

Throughout his talk Ray mentioned several of the events that are being held in and around The Potteries to commemorate Arnold Bennett including the unveiling, by Bennett's grandson, of a statue in Hanley.

A thoroughly entertaining evening for the large audience with a speaker obviously totally dedicated to his subject.
Thank you.
Dorothy Jones

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