Diana Athill, born in 1917, made her reputation as a writer with the candour of her memoirs; through her commitment, in her words, 'to understand, to be aware, to touch the truth'. In a celebration of her life and writing, Life Class brings together four of her best-loved memoirs in one volume, spanning her very English childhood, her life and loves during the Second World War, her publishing career at Andre Deutsch, and her reflections on old age. Introduced by Ian Jack, Diana Athill's selected memoirs are a remarkable testament to an unusual and fully lived life.

'A vital account of being a woman in the 20th century ... chronicles the growth of a woman from a privileged childhood of horses and country estates to a middle-class existence in Andre Deutsch's publishing house and love affairs, to a late contemplation on old age. The prose is breathtaking, and the honesty exhilarating' Independent on Sunday

About the Author
Diana Athill was born in 1917. She is the author of Instead of a Letter, After A Funeral, Don't Look at Me Like That, Make Believe, Stet and Yesterday Morning, all published by Granta Books. She died in January 2019.

Reviews
'Athill has always had a peculiar and attractive talent for communicating her pleasure in life' Telegraph 'Athill tells her own story lightly and delightfully' Daily Mail 'Diana Athill is one of our most captivating and truth-seeking memoir writers, and this hefty four-books-in-one collection spans most of her 92 years' Good Housekeeping 'Athill' volumes of recollection, now brought together into one pleasingly hefty, elegantly beribboned book entitled Life Class, are a sturdy breakwater against the tides of ghosted sleb kiss'n'tell - Life Class demonstrates that real life is not the privilege of the great and the good, the famous and adored: it lies within all our reach' The Times 'A whopping treat' Daily Express 'It's fascinating, sharply intelligent and exquisitely written' Saga



Book Information
ISBN 9781847081469
Author Diana Athill
Format Paperback
Page Count 784
Imprint Granta Books
Publisher Granta Books
Weight(grams) 553g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 42mm