A genuine man of letters

FEW writers have covered such a wide range of literary subjects as Richard Whittington-Egan. His knowledge of medicine, criminal cases, the law, and the literary personalities of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, combined with his skill and perception as a critic, all provide both insight and entertainment.

As a publisher and neighbour, I first met Richard almost 30 years ago, and I have always been astonished at his versatility and range of subject. He has written more than 16 books on his home town of Liverpool and a similar number on factual criminology, including The Bedside Book of Murder, co-written with his wife Molly.

Working as a freelance journalist, he became a contributor for many newspapers and periodicals, including the Times and Associated Newspapers, as well as the New York Times.

His interest in the late Victorian and Edwardian writers produced eminently readable biographies of Stephen Phillips, Lionel Johnson, Theo Marzials and Richard le Gallienne (co-written with G T Smerdon). Perhaps his biography of the Rev J G Wood, The Natural History Man, is one of his finest.

Richard wrote his first literary criticism for the Contemporary Review at the age of 27, his last article coinciding 62 years later with the final issue of that journal in December 2012. Fortunately, over 180 essays written over that time are preserved in Speaking Volumes and Talking of Books, both published by Capella Archive.

At a time when the English language is written in either the monosyllabic vernacular or in management-speak abstractions, Richard Whittington-Egan provides fine examples of how imagery and vocabulary can flow from an imaginative pen, and illustrates his mastery of the craft of English prose in the fine tradition of a genuine man of letters.

David Byram-Wigfield