Sybille Bedford

1911–2006

German-born English writer, born Sybille von Schoenebeck in Charlottenburg, near Berlin, who spent much of her youth in Italy and the south of France. Her first book, The Sudden View (1953), described a journey through Mexico, and her novels include A Legacy, A Favourite of the Gods and A Compass Error. She reported on many trials, including the Lady Chatterley’s Lover case, and wrote the authorised biography of Aldous Huxley. She was appointed OBE in 1981 and died in London in February 2006, aged 94. Jigsaw, a semi-autobiographical novel, was shortlisted for the 1989 Booker Prize.

Timeline of Sybille Bedford’s life

Works

Prizes