Stuart Holroyd
Encyclopedia
Stuart Holroyd is a British
writer.
He first came to prominence for the philosophical and critical works produced during his close association with the writers Colin Wilson
and Bill Hopkins
, but has since written prolifically on parapsychology
, contacts with extraterrestrial life
, sexual love and other topics.
(1957–58) but left without completing his degree.
He published his first book, Emergence from Chaos, in 1957 at the age of twenty-three. The same publisher, Victor Gollancz
, had recently published The Outsider
, the first book by Holroyd's friend Colin Wilson
. Wilson and Holroyd, along with the novelist Bill Hopkins
, were associated with the literary movement known as the Angry Young Men
. In the same year, Holroyd, Wilson and Hopkins each contributed an essay to Declaration
- an anthology of statements by writers and artists then labelled, rightly or wrongly, as Angry Young Men
(the contributors included not only John Osborne
and Kingsley Amis
but Doris Lessing
and the director Lindsay Anderson
). In 1958, Holroyd's play, The Tenth Chance was produced at the Royal Court Theater; disturbances in the audience during the single performance, and a subsequent confrontation in a nearby public house involving Kenneth Tynan
, Christopher Logue
and Colin Wilson
were widely reported.
Emergence from Chaos was a literary/psychological study of several modern poets. Holroyd's next book, Flight and Pursuit (1959) was an autobiographical examination of the author's search for "spiritual values".
In 1961, Holroyd married Susan Joy Bennett. With the exception of a textbook on English literature (The English Imagination), Holroyd did not publish another book for sixteen years. Contraries; A Personal Progression, which appeared in 1975, was a memoir of the "angry" years of the late 1950s, containing portraits of Wilson and Hopkins.
Holroyd has since turned his attention to different subjects, writing a series of books on the paranormal, parapsychology, encounters with extraterrestrial life, gnosticism and the philosophy of Krishnamurthi.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
writer.
He first came to prominence for the philosophical and critical works produced during his close association with the writers Colin Wilson
Colin Wilson
Colin Henry Wilson is a prolific English writer who first came to prominence as a philosopher and novelist. Wilson has since written widely on true crime, mysticism and other topics. He prefers calling his philosophy new existentialism or phenomenological existentialism.- Early biography:Born and...
and Bill Hopkins
Bill Hopkins
G.W. Hopkins was a British composer, pianist and music critic.Hopkins was born in Prestbury, Cheshire and educated at Rossall School, Lancashire; his mother's learning difficulties meant she was unable to look after him, and he was raised by aunts...
, but has since written prolifically on parapsychology
Parapsychology
The term parapsychology was coined in or around 1889 by philosopher Max Dessoir, and originates from para meaning "alongside", and psychology. The term was adopted by J.B. Rhine in the 1930s as a replacement for the term psychical research...
, contacts with extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
, sexual love and other topics.
Life
The son of Thomas Holroyd and Edith (King) Holroyd, Stuart Holroyd attended University College LondonUniversity College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
(1957–58) but left without completing his degree.
He published his first book, Emergence from Chaos, in 1957 at the age of twenty-three. The same publisher, Victor Gollancz
Victor Gollancz
Sir Victor Gollancz was a British publisher, socialist, and humanitarian.-Early life:Born in Maida Vale, London, he was the son of a wholesale jeweller and nephew of Rabbi Professor Sir Hermann Gollancz and Professor Sir Israel Gollancz; after being educated at St Paul's School, London and taking...
, had recently published The Outsider
The Outsider (Colin Wilson)
The Outsider is a non-fiction book by Colin Wilson first published in 1956.Through the works and lives of various artists - including H. G. Wells , Franz Kafka, Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre, T. S. Eliot, Ernest Hemingway, Harley Granville-Barker , Hermann Hesse, T. E...
, the first book by Holroyd's friend Colin Wilson
Colin Wilson
Colin Henry Wilson is a prolific English writer who first came to prominence as a philosopher and novelist. Wilson has since written widely on true crime, mysticism and other topics. He prefers calling his philosophy new existentialism or phenomenological existentialism.- Early biography:Born and...
. Wilson and Holroyd, along with the novelist Bill Hopkins
Bill Hopkins (novelist)
Bill Hopkins was an English novelist and journalist, and has been grouped with the Angry Young Men. His father was Ted Hopkins, a popular stage performer; his mother Violet Brodrick....
, were associated with the literary movement known as the Angry Young Men
Angry young men
The "angry young men" were a group of mostly working and middle class British playwrights and novelists who became prominent in the 1950s. The group's leading members included John Osborne and Kingsley Amis.The phrase was originally coined by the Royal Court Theatre's press officer to promote John...
. In the same year, Holroyd, Wilson and Hopkins each contributed an essay to Declaration
Declaration
Declaration may refer to:* Declaration , specifies the identifier, type, and other aspects of language elements* Declaration , when the captain of a cricket team declares its innings closed...
- an anthology of statements by writers and artists then labelled, rightly or wrongly, as Angry Young Men
Angry young men
The "angry young men" were a group of mostly working and middle class British playwrights and novelists who became prominent in the 1950s. The group's leading members included John Osborne and Kingsley Amis.The phrase was originally coined by the Royal Court Theatre's press officer to promote John...
(the contributors included not only John Osborne
John Osborne
John James Osborne was an English playwright, screenwriter, actor and critic of the Establishment. The success of his 1956 play Look Back in Anger transformed English theatre....
and Kingsley Amis
Kingsley Amis
Sir Kingsley William Amis, CBE was an English novelist, poet, critic, and teacher. He wrote more than 20 novels, six volumes of poetry, a memoir, various short stories, radio and television scripts, along with works of social and literary criticism...
but Doris Lessing
Doris Lessing
Doris May Lessing CH is a British writer. Her novels include The Grass is Singing, The Golden Notebook, and five novels collectively known as Canopus in Argos....
and the director Lindsay Anderson
Lindsay Anderson
Lindsay Gordon Anderson was an Indian-born, British feature film, theatre and documentary director, film critic, and leading light of the Free Cinema movement and the British New Wave...
). In 1958, Holroyd's play, The Tenth Chance was produced at the Royal Court Theater; disturbances in the audience during the single performance, and a subsequent confrontation in a nearby public house involving Kenneth Tynan
Kenneth Tynan
Kenneth Peacock Tynan was an influential and often controversial English theatre critic and writer.-Early life:...
, Christopher Logue
Christopher Logue
Christopher Logue, CBE is an English poet associated with the British Poetry Revival. He has also written for the theatre and cinema as well as acting in a number of films. His two screenplays are Savage Messiah and The End of Arthur's Marriage...
and Colin Wilson
Colin Wilson
Colin Henry Wilson is a prolific English writer who first came to prominence as a philosopher and novelist. Wilson has since written widely on true crime, mysticism and other topics. He prefers calling his philosophy new existentialism or phenomenological existentialism.- Early biography:Born and...
were widely reported.
Emergence from Chaos was a literary/psychological study of several modern poets. Holroyd's next book, Flight and Pursuit (1959) was an autobiographical examination of the author's search for "spiritual values".
In 1961, Holroyd married Susan Joy Bennett. With the exception of a textbook on English literature (The English Imagination), Holroyd did not publish another book for sixteen years. Contraries; A Personal Progression, which appeared in 1975, was a memoir of the "angry" years of the late 1950s, containing portraits of Wilson and Hopkins.
Holroyd has since turned his attention to different subjects, writing a series of books on the paranormal, parapsychology, encounters with extraterrestrial life, gnosticism and the philosophy of Krishnamurthi.
Books
- Emergence from Chaos (1957)
- Flight and Pursuit (1959)
- The English Imagination (1969)
- Contraries: A Personal Progression (1975)
- Dream Worlds (1976)
- PSI and the Conscious Explosion (1977)
- Mysteries of the Inner Self (1978)
- Alien Intelligence (1979)
- Briefing for the Landing on Planet Earth (1979)
- With Susan Holroyd The Complete Book of Sexual Love (1979)
- Quest of the Quier Mind (1980)
- Krishnamurti: The Man, the Mystery & the Message (1991)
- The Elements of Gnosticism (ISBN 1-86204-146-6 Element Books Ltd. 1994)
Critical essay
- "A Sense of Crisis" in DeclarationDeclarationDeclaration may refer to:* Declaration , specifies the identifier, type, and other aspects of language elements* Declaration , when the captain of a cricket team declares its innings closed...
(Edited by Tom Maschler, MacGibbon & Kee, 1957)