Denton Welch: Writer and Artist

by James Methuen-Campbell, Alan Bennett (Foreword by)

The painting and writing of Denton Welch, much admired by Edith Sitwell and William Burroughs, among others, is at once seemingly artless and immensely considered. There is really no one quite like him. Frail and sensitive, Welch died young at the age of thirty-three, leaving behind an intense body of work that had earned him widespread admiration both artistically and as a writer. James Methuen-Campbell provides a detailed analysis of his work and life, enhanced by interviews with those who knew Welch best.

Genres: Biography

312 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2002

Reviews

[Chris Browning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartbreaking - genuinely heartbreaking. It’s awful to see a talent genuinely growing and flourishing and developing, one initially thwarted by a terrible accident at twenty (morbidly ironic, as I was reading this as a van hit a cyclist outside my own house) and then as Welch rages against his own disabilities and illness to begin to be taken seriously as a genuine talent for that accident to take him at 33. It really feels like a tragedy that this man never lived and enjoyed life more than he did, and Methuen Campbell makes that agony really felt. It’s very well written, meticulously researched and has a terribly sad air of tragedy looming as it goes on. Very good indeed

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

As others have pointed out, much of what is in this volume is covered in Welch's own autobiographical fiction. Nonetheless, James Methuen-Campbell brings a lot to the table, including coverage of Welch's work as a visual artist, which is often ignored in favor of his literary achievements. For that reason alone, this is a pretty essential volume when it comes to rounding out the picture of Denton Welch as a multi-talented creator.

[Alvin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Welch's writing is so autobiographical there are few surprises for the dedicated Welch-head. Still, it's interesting.