Culture | Centennial tributes

The comic genius of Kingsley Amis

In his life and writing, the author of “Lucky Jim” relied on his friends

Apr 23rd 2022

HIS BIGGEST fear was loneliness. Kingsley Amis could sit in his study all day, with just his flamboyant characters for company, but when the sun set he collapsed into panic if he was alone. The solution? Parties, lovers, dinners. His was a life of constant company, punctuated by hard work. This routine began early. As an only child, he took up writing as a form of “self-entertainment”. The two states, writing and socialising, were linked. It was his affability that made Amis, born in London 100 years ago this month, the greatest comic novelist of his generation.

This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “With a little help from his friends”