Graham Greene
Henry Graham Greene OM CH (2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) was an English writer and journalist regarded by many as one of the leading novelists of the 20th century.
Graham Greene OM CH | |
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Greene in 1975 | |
| Born | Henry Graham Greene 2 October 1904 Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, England |
| Died | 3 April 1991 (aged 86) Vevey, Switzerland |
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| Alma mater | Balliol College, Oxford |
| Period | 1925–1991 |
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| Notable works |
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| Spouse |
Vivien Dayrell-Browning
(m. 1927; sep. 1947) |
| Partner | Catherine Walston, Lady Walston (1946–1966) Yvonne Cloetta (1966–1991) |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Raymond Greene (brother); Graham C. Greene (nephew) |
Combining literary acclaim with widespread popularity, Greene acquired a reputation early in his lifetime as a major writer, both of serious Catholic novels, and of thrillers (or "entertainments" as he termed them). He was shortlisted for the Nobel Prize in Literature several times. Through 67 years of writing, which included over 25 novels, he explored the conflicting moral and political issues of the modern world. He was awarded the 1968 Shakespeare Prize and the 1981 Jerusalem Prize.
He converted to Catholicism in 1926 after meeting his future wife, Vivien Dayrell-Browning. Later in life he took to calling himself a "Catholic agnostic". He died in 1991, aged 86, of leukemia, and was buried in Corseaux cemetery in Switzerland.