Powell, Anthony << POH uhl, AN thuh nee >> (1905-2000), an English writer, became best known for his 12-volume novel called A Dance to the Music of Time. In the novel, Powell described what he considered the changing nature of the English upper-middle class from the early 1920’s to the 1970’s. The novel is narrated by Nicholas Jenkins, who speaks for the author. Jenkins records his own experiences and those of a group of characters, especially Widmerpool, a ruthless, aggressive, self-made man. The first volume of the novel is A Question of Upbringing (1951) and the final volume is Hearing Secret Harmonies (1975).
Powell was born in London on Dec. 21, 1905. He began his literary career with the comic satiric novels Afternoon Men (1931), Venusberg (1932), From a View to a Death (1933), and Agents and Patients (1936). Powell also wrote John Aubrey and His Friends (1948), a biography of English author John Aubrey. His plays include The Garden God (1971) and The Rest I’ll Whistle (1971). Powell wrote four volumes of autobiography (1976-1982) under the title To Keep the Ball Rolling. He died on March 28, 2000.
