Pelham Grenville Wodehouse authored more than ninety books and two hundred short stories, establishing himself as a defining humorist of the twentieth century. His literary output spanned seven decades, beginning in 1902 and continuing until 1974, fundamentally shaping the trajectory of comic fiction through his creation of enduring archetypes such as Bertie Wooster and his valet, Jeeves.
Early Education and Career
Born in Guildford in 1881, Wodehouse attended Elizabeth College from 1889 to 1891 before moving to Malvern House Preparatory School until 1893. He completed his education at Dulwich College between 1894 and 1900. Although he initially worked in a bank, he found the profession unappealing and pivoted to writing. His early bibliography focused on school stories, yet he later transitioned into the comic fiction that became his hallmark.
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Beyond prose, Wodehouse was an active playwright, librettist, and lyricist. During and after the First World War, he collaborated with Guy Bolton and Jerome Kern on a series of Broadway musical comedies that influenced the development of the American musical. By the 1930s, he transitioned to screenwriting, moving to Hollywood to write for MGM.
Wartime Internment and Later Years
In 1934, Wodehouse relocated to France. Following his 1940 capture by German forces at Le Touquet, he remained interned for nearly a year. His subsequent radio broadcasts from Berlin sparked significant controversy in Britain. He never returned to England, eventually settling in the United States in 1947. He gained American citizenship in 1955 while maintaining his British status. Shortly before his 1975 death at Southampton Hospital, he was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
Fast facts
- Born: 1881, Guildford
- Died: 1975, Southampton Hospital
- Educated: Dulwich College (1894-1900)
- Citizenship: United Kingdom, United States
- Award: Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (1975)
- Burial place: Remsenburg Cemetery
- Primary occupations: Novelist, screenwriter, humorist
- Active period: 1902-1974
Questions readers ask
Did Wodehouse return to England after the Second World War?
No, he never returned to England following the controversies surrounding his broadcasts from Germany.
How many books did P. G. Wodehouse write?
He published more than ninety books throughout his career, along with forty plays and over two hundred short stories.
Achievements
- Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire — 1975
- Educated at Dulwich College
- Worked as writer, novelist and playwright
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