Nigel Molesworth, the curse of St Custard’s school, is known to his huge army of fans through Geoffrey Willans’s four books Down with Skool!, How to be Topp, Whizz for Atomms and Back in the Jug Agane, first published between 1953 and 1958, and illustrated by Ronald Searle. Much less famous are the Molesworth diaries that appeared in the magazine Punch between August 1939 and December 1942. This volume is an opportunity to discover a slightly different Molesworth – less philosophical than the boy portrayed in the books, but equally sardonic, knowing and cynical. The diaries are an introduction to the world and mind of Molesworth, and as such are essential reading for Molesworth fans – all of whom are, of course, “connoisseurs of prose and luvers of literature”.
About the author
The diaries, and the four later books about Nigel Molesworth, were the work of Geoffrey Willans, a former schoolmaster who served in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve during World War II and then became a full-time author and journalist before his death at the tragically early age of 47.
Illustrations by Uli Meyer
Uli Meyer, a lifelong fan of Ronald Searle, is a filmmaker, designer and animator. With the master’s blessing he has animated several of Searle’s characters and, together with Lupus Film London, has developed a feature adaptation of Molesworth.
Read our interview with Uli Meyer.
Introduction by Robert J. Kirkpatrick
Robert J. Kirkpatrick is the author of several books on boys’ school stories, penny dreadfuls and boys’ story papers, Bohemian Fleet Street and illustrators of children’s books.
Foreword by Gyles Brandreth
Gyles Brandreth is a British writer, broadcaster and former MP. He is the author of the Oscar Wilde Murder Mysteries series and has written extensively on language, puzzles and popular culture. A well-known figure on British television and radio, he is also a former Lord Commissioner of the Treasury and a passionate advocate for literacy and the arts.
