W. Somerset Maugham

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William Somerset Maugham (1874–1965) was an English writer famous for his plays, novels and short stories. Born in Paris, he spent his early years there before moving to England for schooling. He studied medicine in London and qualified as a physician in 1897, but he never practiced medicine. He chose to become a writer instead.

Maugham’s first novel, Liza of Lambeth (1897), about life in London’s slums, brought him attention. He soon became a well-known playwright, and by 1908 several of his plays ran in the West End. He wrote plays for many years, with his last one in 1933, after which he focused on novels and short stories.

Important novels include Liza of Lambeth; Of Human Bondage (1915), a largely autobiographical coming‑of‑age tale; The Moon and Sixpence (1919), about a man who leaves his respectable life to become a painter; The Painted Veil (1925); Cakes and Ale (1930); and The Razor’s Edge (1944). His short stories, gathered in books such as The Casuarina Tree (1926) and Ashenden (1928), made him particularly popular. Many stories were turned into films or radio and TV plays.

Maugham was known for a plain, clear writing style. His prose was easy to read and highly effective for storytelling, though some critics complained he relied on familiar phrases. He was especially skilled at creating vivid, believable characters and sharp dialogue.

His private life was complex. He had a long relationship with Gerald Haxton, and he also had relationships with Syrie Wellcome. He married Syrie in 1917; they divorced in 1929. With Haxton, he lived much of the time in the French Riviera or abroad. Haxton died in 1944, and Alan Searle later became Maugham’s secretary and companion.

During World War I, Maugham worked for British intelligence, using his writing as cover to gather information in places like the South Seas and Russia. He also used his experiences to enrich his fiction. He traveled widely, drawing material from many countries and people.

After the war, Maugham kept writing but gradually turned more to prose and short stories than to plays. In the 1940s he wrote The Razor’s Edge, his last major novel. He spent much of his later life at Cap Ferrat in the French Riviera, where he entertained guests and continued writing.

In 1954 he was made a Companion of Honour, a rare British honor. He helped young writers by founding the Somerset Maugham Award to support new British authors. He also received other honors and held many literary fellowships.

Maugham died in Nice, France, in 1965 at the age of 91. He was cremated in Marseille and his ashes were buried at Canterbury, near the Maugham Library he helped endow.

Today, Maugham is remembered for his prolific output and his clear, effective storytelling. His best-loved works—especially Of Human Bondage and The Moon and Sixpence—are considered important English novels of the 20th century, and his many short stories remain widely read and frequently adapted for stage and screen.