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Most would describe the 1950s as anything but ‘glamorous’. The economy was still carrying the burden of wartime expenditure and rationing did not end until 1954. Few people owned houses or cars, the sober paternalism of the BBC was not challenged by independent television until 1955, at least for the 7% of homes with a set, and, in Larkin’s opinion, sexual intercourse did not begin until 1963. ‘Dreary’ seems a more appropriate term. But the generation of writers who rose to prominence during these years lit the gloom with a spark of mischief, producing novels that appeared to endorse bad behaviour and poems that spoke directly, often shockingly, of the lives their readers’ lived.

The panel includes literary critic Professor John Carey, novelist and biographer D J Taylor, and Amis biographer Richard Bradford, and will discuss the work, lives and influence of the men and women who contributed to the ‘glamour decade’.

Questions and contributions from the audience are welcome.

In partnership with The University of Oxford Alumni Office