The Slaves of Solitude

About Nicholas WrightPatrick Hamilton

Patrick Hamilton was one of the twentieth centurys greatest novelists and dramatists whose significant contribution to literature has often been overlooked. Born in Hassocks Sussex in 1904 Hamilton spent his early years in Hove. His first novel Monday Morning was published in 1925 quickly followed by Craven House (1926). Among his novels are The Midnight Bell (1929) The Siege of Pleasure (1932) The Plains of Cement (1934) Hangover Square (1941) The Slaves of Solitude (1947) and The Gorse Trilogy which is comprised of The West Pier (1952) Mr Stimpson and Mr Gorse (1953) and Unknown Assailant (1955). Hamiltons trilogy 20000 Streets Under the Sky (192934) was adapted into a successful BBC Four series in 2005 directed by Simon Curtis. His plays include the psychological thrillers Rope (1929) on which Alfred Hitchcocks 1948 film Rope was based and Gaslight (1938) which gave rise to the term gaslighting: a form of psychological abuse in which a victim is manipulated into questioning his or her sanity. Hamilton died in 1962 of liver and kidney failure after a long struggle with alcohol. Nicholas Wright is a leading British playwright. His plays include: 8 Hotels (Minerva Theatre Chichester 2019); an adaptation of Patrick Hamilton's novel The Slaves of Solitude (Hampstead Theatre 2017); an adaptation of Pat Barker's novel Regeneration (Royal & Derngate Northampton 2014); Travelling Light (National Theatre 2012); The Last of the Duchess (Hampstead Theatre 2011); Rattigan's Nijinsky (Chichester Festival Theatre 2011); The Reporter (National Theatre 2007); a version of Emile Zola's Therese Raquin (National Theatre 2006); an adaptation of Philip Pullmans His Dark Materials (National Theatre 2003-4); Vincent In Brixton (National Theatre 2002; winner of the Olivier Award for Best New Play); a version of Luigi Pirandello's Naked (Almeida Theatre 1998); and Mrs Klein (National Theatre & West End 1988). His writing about the theatre includes Changing Stages: A View of British Theatre in the Twentieth Century co-written with Richard Eyre.