Mervyn Peake

Mervyn Peake (1911 to 1968) was a British writer, artist, poet and illustrator, best known for the Gormenghast books, beginning with Titus Groan. He also wrote poetry, literary nonsense in verse, short stories for adults and children, and the novel Mr Pye (1953), which mocks the cosy world-view of its evangelical hero. He first made his reputation as a painter and illustrator in London during the 1930s and 1940s. His death in 1968 prevented completion of the Gormenghast cycle he had planned.