Alfred Gordon Bennett (11 December 1901 – 11 August 1962) was an English novelist and poet.
Alfred Gordon Bennett | |
|---|---|
 Bennett in 1953 | |
| Born | 11 December 1901 |
| Died | 11 August 1962 (aged 60) |
| Occupation | Novelist |
Biography
editBennett was born in Warrington.[1] He was the only child of Alderman Arthur Bennett, Mayor of Warrington. Bennett was educated at Boteler Grammar School and The Leys School in Cambridge. His English teacher at Leys was W. H. Balgarnie.[1] Bennett worked as a reporter for The Daily Post as a young man. He married Gwendoline Rita Evans-Williams of Anglesey.[1] His wife was Group Commandant of the Women's Junior Air Corps.[2] He travelled extensively throughout Canada, United States, Egypt, Greece, Turkey, France and Italy.[3]
During World War II he was a flying officer for the Royal Air Force. Bennett was the founder of the Institute of Amateur Cinematographers.[1] His collected poems were published in 1930.[4] He published novels through his company Pharos Books. His science-fiction novel The Demigods told the story of a giant race of ants controlled from a vast subterranean formicarium led by a master brain which planned to destroy the human race.[5][6] The book was published in 1939 and was republished in 1955. Bennett stated that he was the first author to tell a story of giant ants seeking to exterminate humanity and the first to attribute the cause of their giantism to the exposure of radiation.[5] He also authored Whom the Gods Destroy, an oriental mystery novel with supernatural themes.[2][7]
His book Focus on the Unknown (1953) speculates on astral projection, dreams, life after death, occultism and yoga. It was a semi-finalist for the Atlantic Non-Fiction Award 1952–1953.[8] An updated edition was published in 1954.[9]
Death
editBennett died at Colwyn Bay hospital on 11 August 1962.[1] He was cremated at Colwyn Bay Crematorium.[10] Before his death, Bennett was working on Man and Cosmos, an unpublished treatise on philosophy and science.[11]
Selected publications
editReferences
edit- 1 2 3 4 5 "Death of North-West Novelist". Liverpool Daily Post. August 13, 1962. p. 7.
- 1 2 3 "Whom the Gods Destroy". Evening Express. February 25, 1947. p. 2.
- ↑ Who's Who Among Living Authors of Older Nations. Golden Syndicate Publishing Company. 1931. p. 42.
- ↑ "Mr. Alfred Gordon Bennett". The Guardian. October 16, 1930. p. 7.
- 1 2 3 "Race of Giant Ants". The North Wales Weekly News. October 27, 1955. p. 13.
- ↑ Cooke, Bill (2020). The Story of Warrington: The Athens of the North. Troubador Publishing. p. 422. ISBN 978-1838594381.
- ↑ "Angry Gods". Liverpool Echo. Jan 22, 1947. p. 3.
- 1 2 "Focus on the Unknown". The Cincinnati Enquirer. July 18, 1954. p. 59.
- ↑ "Focus on the Unknown". The North Wales Weekly News. June 3, 1954. p. 8.
- ↑ "Deaths". The Daily Telegraph. August 14, 1962. p. 18.
- ↑ "Poem Read at Funeral of Mr. A. G. Bennett". The North Wales Weekly News. August 23, 1962. p. 5.
- ↑ "The Movies". The Spectator. December 31, 1937. p. 24.