Nigel Nicolson
Encyclopedia
Nigel Nicolson OBE
(19 January 1917 – 23 September 2004) was a British writer, publisher and politician.
and Vita Sackville-West
; he had a brother Ben
, later an art historian. The boys grew up in Kent
, first near their mother's ancestral home at Knole and then at Sissinghurst Castle, where their parents created a famous garden. Nicolson was sent to board at Summer Fields
, a prep school
in Oxford
; Eton College
; and Balliol College, Oxford
. He served with the Grenadier Guards
during World War II
, later writing their official history.
Nicolson wrote many books and founded with George Weidenfeld
the firm Weidenfeld and Nicolson, of which he was a director from 1948 to 1992. He also worked as a broadcaster and was a member of the Ancient Monuments Board
.
Although his father had been first a National Labour and then a Labour
politician, Nigel Nicolson became active in the Conservative Party
and contested Leicester North West
in 1950 and Falmouth and Camborne in 1951, without success. He was elected Member of Parliament
for Bournemouth East and Christchurch
at a by-election in February 1952, when the previous MP, Brendan Bracken
, was elevated to the House of Lords
. Nicolson was re-elected in the seat in the general election of May 1955
. However, he was uncomfortable within the Tory party and voted with Labour to abolish hanging
and abstained in a vote of confidence in the government over the Suez War. His constituency association called for him to resign and wrote to the Prime Minister
briefing against their MP. A ballot of members was called. Unfortunately for Nicolson, a scandal relating to his publishing interests broke at the same time — the company's publication of Vladimir Nabokov
's novel Lolita
. Nicolson lost the members' vote and was forced to step down at the general election of October 1959
.
Nicolson returned to writing, particularly on heritage and biography. He co-wrote a celebrated 1973 book on his parents, Portrait of a Marriage
. It balanced a frank account of his bisexual parents' extramarital affairs (especially Vita Sackville-West
's 'elopement' with Violet Trefusis
) with their enduring love for each other; it caused an uproar when it was published. He also edited his father's diaries and, with Joanne Trautmann, the letters of Virginia Woolf
. Later he wrote The Spectator
's Long Life column and a Time of My Life column for The Sunday Telegraph. His autobiography, Long Life, was published in 1997.
In 1953 Nicolson married Philippa, the daughter of Sir Gervais Tennyson-d'Eyncourt
, and they had two daughters, Rebecca, a publisher, Juliet, a historian, and a son, Adam
, a writer. They divorced in 1970.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(19 January 1917 – 23 September 2004) was a British writer, publisher and politician.
Biography
Nicolson was the son of the writers Sir Harold NicolsonHarold Nicolson
Sir Harold George Nicolson KCVO CMG was an English diplomat, author, diarist and politician. He was the husband of writer Vita Sackville-West, their unusual relationship being described in their son's book, Portrait of a Marriage.-Early life:Nicolson was born in Tehran, Persia, the younger son of...
and Vita Sackville-West
Vita Sackville-West
The Hon Victoria Mary Sackville-West, Lady Nicolson, CH , best known as Vita Sackville-West, was an English author, poet and gardener. She won the Hawthornden Prize in 1927 and 1933...
; he had a brother Ben
Benedict Nicolson
Benedict Nicolson, MVO was a British art historian and author.Nicolson was the elder son of authors Harold Nicolson and Vita Sackville-West and the brother of writer and politician Nigel...
, later an art historian. The boys grew up in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, first near their mother's ancestral home at Knole and then at Sissinghurst Castle, where their parents created a famous garden. Nicolson was sent to board at Summer Fields
Summer Fields School
Summer Fields is a boys' independent preparatory school based in Summertown, Oxford, England.-History:Originally called Summerfield, it became a Boys' Preparatory School in 1864 with seven pupils. Its owner, Archibald Maclaren, was a fencing teacher who ran a gymnasium in Oxford; he himself was...
, a prep school
Preparatory school (UK)
In English language usage in the former British Empire, the present-day Commonwealth, a preparatory school is an independent school preparing children up to the age of eleven or thirteen for entry into fee-paying, secondary independent schools, some of which are known as public schools...
in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
; Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
; and Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
. He served with the Grenadier Guards
Grenadier Guards
The Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, later writing their official history.
Nicolson wrote many books and founded with George Weidenfeld
George Weidenfeld
Arthur George Weidenfeld, Baron Weidenfeld, GBE is a British publisher, philanthropist, and newspaper columnist. He was born in Vienna, Austria.Weidenfeld attended the University of Vienna and the city's Diplomatic College...
the firm Weidenfeld and Nicolson, of which he was a director from 1948 to 1992. He also worked as a broadcaster and was a member of the Ancient Monuments Board
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
.
Although his father had been first a National Labour and then a Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
politician, Nigel Nicolson became active in the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
and contested Leicester North West
Leicester North West (UK Parliament constituency)
Leicester North West was a borough constituency in the city of Leicester. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
in 1950 and Falmouth and Camborne in 1951, without success. He was elected Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Bournemouth East and Christchurch
Bournemouth East and Christchurch (UK Parliament constituency)
Bournemouth East and Christchurch is a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It returned one Member of Parliament, using the first past the post electoral system from the United Kingdom general election, 1950 until the constituency was abolished in 1974.The seat was based upon the...
at a by-election in February 1952, when the previous MP, Brendan Bracken
Brendan Bracken, 1st Viscount Bracken
Brendan Randell Bracken, 1st Viscount Bracken PC was an Irish businessman and a minister in the British Conservative cabinet. Primarily, the 1st Viscount Bracken is remembered for opposing the Bank of England's co-operation with Adolf Hitler, and for subsequently supporting Winston Churchill's...
, was elevated to the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
. Nicolson was re-elected in the seat in the general election of May 1955
United Kingdom general election, 1955
The 1955 United Kingdom general election was held on 26 May 1955, four years after the previous general election. It resulted in a substantially increased majority of 60 for the Conservative government under new leader and prime minister Sir Anthony Eden against Labour Party, now in their 20th year...
. However, he was uncomfortable within the Tory party and voted with Labour to abolish hanging
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
and abstained in a vote of confidence in the government over the Suez War. His constituency association called for him to resign and wrote to the Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
briefing against their MP. A ballot of members was called. Unfortunately for Nicolson, a scandal relating to his publishing interests broke at the same time — the company's publication of Vladimir Nabokov
Vladimir Nabokov
Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov was a multilingual Russian novelist and short story writer. Nabokov wrote his first nine novels in Russian, then rose to international prominence as a master English prose stylist...
's novel Lolita
Lolita
Lolita is a novel by Vladimir Nabokov, first written in English and published in 1955 in Paris and 1958 in New York, and later translated by the author into Russian...
. Nicolson lost the members' vote and was forced to step down at the general election of October 1959
United Kingdom general election, 1959
This United Kingdom general election was held on 8 October 1959. It marked a third successive victory for the ruling Conservative Party, led by Harold Macmillan...
.
Nicolson returned to writing, particularly on heritage and biography. He co-wrote a celebrated 1973 book on his parents, Portrait of a Marriage
Portrait of a Marriage
Portrait of a Marriage: Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson is the 1973 biography of writer and gardener Vita Sackville-West compiled by her son Nigel Nicolson from her journals and letters...
. It balanced a frank account of his bisexual parents' extramarital affairs (especially Vita Sackville-West
Vita Sackville-West
The Hon Victoria Mary Sackville-West, Lady Nicolson, CH , best known as Vita Sackville-West, was an English author, poet and gardener. She won the Hawthornden Prize in 1927 and 1933...
's 'elopement' with Violet Trefusis
Violet Trefusis
Violet Trefusis née Keppel was an English writer and socialite. She is most notable for her lesbian affair with Vita Sackville-West, which was featured under disguise in Virginia Woolf's Orlando: A Biography....
) with their enduring love for each other; it caused an uproar when it was published. He also edited his father's diaries and, with Joanne Trautmann, the letters of Virginia Woolf
Virginia Woolf
Adeline Virginia Woolf was an English author, essayist, publisher, and writer of short stories, regarded as one of the foremost modernist literary figures of the twentieth century....
. Later he wrote The Spectator
The Spectator
The Spectator is a weekly British magazine first published on 6 July 1828. It is currently owned by David and Frederick Barclay, who also owns The Daily Telegraph. Its principal subject areas are politics and culture...
's Long Life column and a Time of My Life column for The Sunday Telegraph. His autobiography, Long Life, was published in 1997.
In 1953 Nicolson married Philippa, the daughter of Sir Gervais Tennyson-d'Eyncourt
Gervais Tennyson-d'Eyncourt
Sir Eustace Gervais Tennyson-d'Eyncourt, 2nd Baronet .-Early life:Tennyson-d'Eyncourt was the son of Sir Eustace Tennyson-d'Eyncourt, 1st Baronet, and of his wife Janet , the elder daughter of Mathew Finlay, of Langside, Glasgow, and the widow of John Burns.He was educated at Charterhouse...
, and they had two daughters, Rebecca, a publisher, Juliet, a historian, and a son, Adam
Adam Nicolson
Adam Nicolson, Baron Carnock, FRSL, FSA , is a British author who writes about English history, landscape and the sea....
, a writer. They divorced in 1970.