Welcome to Beyond the Five Towns, a blog dedicated to the works and world of author Arnold Bennett (1867-1931).
For many people, the name Arnold Bennett is known (if at all) only because of an egg dish. The ‘Omelette Arnold Bennett’ is said to have been created at London’s Savoy Hotel in the late 1920s and is still served almost one hundred years later. But Arnold Bennett was much more than an item on a menu. He was a best-selling author and a celebrity in his day. He wrote novels, short stories, plays, newspaper columns, book reviews, screenplays and even self-help books. He supported social movements from women’s suffrage to saving Stonehenge. He edited a women’s magazine and, during World War I, worked in the Ministry of Information. He was offered a knighthood; and refused it.
What you’ll find here
Beyond the Five Towns will include:
- Essays on Bennett’s key works: their historical context, reception and changing reputations.
- Explorations of aspects of social history captured in his writings.
- Profiles of his colleagues, contemporaries and rivals.
- Discussions of ‘Bennett-like’ authors.
- Annotated short stories and essays.
- Guided readings.
Beyond the Five Towns 