Founded in 1997 by literary agent and biographer Andrew Lownie, the Biographers' Club is an umbrella organisation which seeks to educate, inspire, promote and foster a better understanding of the art of biography and its relevance across the broad spectrum of human endeavour. Through our events, we create a forum for this understanding, a public benefit for all in the art of biography across all media and disciplines, and a professional and social interaction among its membership.

For membership enquiries contact Philippa Bernard: membership at biographersclub dot co dot uk

For events enquiries contact: secretary at biographersclub dot co dot uk Please email this address to book your place at our events

For prize enquiries contact Anna Swan: anna at annaswan dot co dot uk or call 020 8452 4993

Request to potential new Members

We would like to invite the regular (currently non-member) guests who attend our events to apply for membership of the Biographers' Club. Annual fee is £30. Please contact Philippa Bernard (email: membership at biographersclub dot co dot uk) to check if you are eligible to join (also, please read the criteria contained in the Membership Application form, available on the Home and Members pages, right-hand green button).

Forthcoming Events

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The Biographers’ Club announces the winners of its three prizes, 25 October 2011 at the Oriental Club

From a record entry of 68 titles, the winner of the £5,000 HW Fisher Best First Biography Prize 2011 was Matthew Hollis for Now All Roads Lead to France: The Last Years of Edward Thomas, published by Faber. Speaking on behalf of the judges, Michael Prodger said: ‘Matthew Hollis's Now All Roads Lead to France is not just an account of one of the First World War’s less starry poets but of two worlds. The first is the febrile poetry world of the time, full of arguments, striving and intense friendships; the second is the world of creativity inside Thomas's head and just how the poems came about and were crafted. Hollis depicts both with extraordinary insight and in prose that is in the very best sense poetic.’ 

Shortlisted entrants:

Mysterious Wisdom: The Life and Work of Samuel Palmer – Rachel Campbell-Johnston (Bloomsbury)
The Children of Lovers: A Memoir of William Golding by His Daughter – Judy Golding (Faber)
William Armstrong: Magician of the North – Henrietta Heald (Northumbria Press)
Andrew Marvell: The Chameleon – Nigel Smith (Yale University Press)
Catherine of Aragon: Henry’s Spanish Queen – Giles Tremlett (Faber)

Judges: Anne Sebba, whose nine books include That Woman: The Life of Wallis Simpson; Nicholas Clee, joint editor of Bookbrunch and the author of Eclipse; and Michael Prodger, critic and former literary editor of the Sunday Telegraph. 

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The winner of the £2,000 Tony Lothian Prize 2011 was Jane Gordon-Cumming for The American Heiress and the Scottish Rake: The True Story of the Royal Baccarat Scandal. On behalf of the judges, Valerie Grove said: ‘A famous scandal at the card table, involving the Prince of Wales; an American heiress, one of three sisters who married into the Victorian aristocracy; an opening scene of thrilling drama, as a splendid yacht sinks in a storm. “A cracking good story here,” as Jane Gordon-Cumming confidently told us, and the judges agreed. The American heiress was her grandmother Florence; the Scottish rake her grandfather Sir William Gordon-Cumming – both “flawed, exasperating, eccentric but huge characters”. A sure winner.’

Shortlisted entrants:

Chas Chandler: The Man Who Made Hendrix – Elaine Cusack

Snow Widows: Married to the Antarctic – Katherine MacInnes

Profile in String: The Life of Barbara Skelton – Graham Page
Richard Aldington: Poet, Soldier and Lover – Vivien Whelpton

This prize is for the best proposal by an unpublished, first-time biographer. For summaries of all the shortlisted entries please click on the link below. 

Judges: Valerie Grove, journalist and biographer of Laurie Lee and John Mortimer, among others; Jane Mays, consulting literary editor at the Daily Mail; and David Waller, author of The Magnificent Mrs Tennant.

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The Lifetime Services to Biography Prize went to Selina Hastings, author of The Secret Lives of Somerset Maugham, Nancy Mitford and Evelyn Waugh, among others. The Prize was presented by Philip Ziegler, the previous year’s winner.

The after-dinner speaker was Victoria Glendinning, CBE, the distinguished biographer of Anthony Trollope, Vita Sackville-West, Elizabeth Bowen and Rebecca West.