L. P. Hartley | |
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| Born | Leslie Poles Hartley 30 December 1895 Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire, England |
| Died | 13 December 1972 (aged 76) London, England |
| Education | |
| Genre | Novel, short story |
| Notable works |
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| Notable awards | James Tait Black Memorial Prize (1947) Heinemann Award (1953) Commander of the Order of the British Empire (1956) Companion of Literature by the Royal Society of Literature (1972) |
Leslie Poles Hartley CBE (30 December 1895 – 13 December 1972) was an English novelist and short story writer. Although his first fiction was published in 1924, his best-known works are the Eustace and Hilda trilogy (1944–1947) and The Go-Between (1953). The latter was made into a film in 1971, as was his 1957 novel The Hireling in 1973.
Hartley began writing stories at the age of 11. He worked as an editor during his time at Oxford and spent many years afterwards writing book reviews. In his private life, Hartley spent much of his time rowing, swimming, and socializing, often traveling with friends. He made frequent visits to Venice for many years and enjoyed days out on the canals. His writing career began with short story collections, with his first novel, The Shrimp and the Anemone, published at age 49. He was known for writing about social codes, moral responsibility and family relationships, and many of his works portray passion as leading to disaster. Hartley died in December 1972 at the age of 76.