Kingsley Amis was one of the twentieth century's most popular and respected authors of fiction. His 1986 novel, The Old Devils, won the Booker Prize.
He began his academic career in Swansea, where he taught for twelve years between 1949-1961. He regularly talked of these years as being some of the best of his life. During this time, he published his first novel, Lucky Jim, which was released in 1954. It has gone down as a huge success, and although the novel is not based on Swansea University, the depiction of campus and academic life it presents must have been influenced by Amis’ workplace in some way. South Wales remained a prominent setting for some of his future works, including The Old Devils. Amis’ reputation often centred around his bohemian lifestyle and fondness for drink and parties, but he was also a popular and diligent lecturer who gained a good reputation amongst many students.
