William Sansom

William Sansom (born Jan. 18, 1912, London—died April 20, 1976, London) was a writer of short stories, novels, and travel books who is considered particularly acute in his dissections of London life and scenes.

Educated at Uppingham School, Rutland, Sansom worked in banking and advertising until World War II. After writing some film scripts following the war, he became a full-time writer. His most important novels are The Body (1949), A Bed of Roses (1954), The Loving Eye (1956), and Goodbye (1966). His short stories have been collected in Fireman Flower (1944), Something Terrible, Something Lovely (1948), A Touch of the Sun (1952), Blue Skies, Brown Studies (1960), and The Marmalade Bird (1973), containing “Down at the Hydro,” one of his best stories. He also wrote travel books about his European trips and a biography of Marcel Proust, Proust and His World (1973).