Recall the year 1935. Graham Greene moved into 14 Clapham Common North Side. This beautiful Queen Anne house became his home. The Graham Greene Blue plaque commemorates the writer who lived here.
English Heritage erected the plaque in 2011. It marks Greene’s residence from 1935 to 1940. He lived here with his family. Greene described it as a museum piece.
Graham Greene was born in 1904. His full name was Henry Graham Greene. He was a novelist, playwright, short story writer, and critic. Greene is considered one of the great British writers.
Greene’s early life wasn’t easy. He was bullied at Berkhamsted School. His father was the headmaster. At 16 he tried to kill himself. His parents sent him to London for psychiatric treatment.
In 1922 Greene studied history at Balliol College Oxford. There he met his future wife Vivien Dayrell-Browning. He converted to Catholicism to marry her. They had two children.
Greene started his career as a journalist. He worked for the Nottingham Journal. Later he became a sub-editor at The Times. This was a happy period in his life.
His first novel The Man Within was published in 1929. It sold well. Greene quit his job to write full-time. His next two novels failed.
In 1932 Stamboul Train salvaged his career. It sold 21000 copies. He earned money from film rights. Greene wrote thrillers and serious works. He set a daily target of 500 words.
Greene was a perceptive film critic. He founded the magazine Night and Day. He wrote screenplays including The Green Cockatoo. He collaborated with Carol Reed on The Third Man. It won the first prize at Cannes.
In 1936 Greene started writing Brighton Rock. It is a thriller set in the world of racecourse gangs. A trip to Mexico inspired The Power and the Glory. He finished it as war broke out.
During the Blitz Greene worked for the Ministry of Information. In 1941 he joined MI6. He was an agent in Sierra Leone. This gave him material for The Heart of the Matter.
In 1946 Greene had an affair with Catherine Walston. She was the love of his life. He chronicled their relationship in The End of the Affair.
Most of his later novels are set in far-flung places. These include The Quiet American and The Comedians. The Human Factor was his greatest commercial success.
In 1940 a bombing raid damaged the house. Vivien and the children had been evacuated. Greene was staying in Bloomsbury. This event inspired The End of the Affair. The house was rebuilt after the war.
Greene’s daughter remembered the house. She recalled the magnificent staircase. Writers like John Betjeman and Evelyn Waugh visited.
Greene received the Order of Merit in 1986. He died in Switzerland in 1991. This Graham Greene Blue plaque serves as a reminder. It commemorates a great writer. It connects us to his life and work in Clapham.