Born in Westminster, England, he moved to Hollywood, California in 1936, a few years after publishing his first novel, to join Warner Brothers motion-picture studios on a six month contract as scriptwriter. There, he became acquainted with F Scott Fitzgerald who was also writing for film at the time. A year later, he returned to England where he became a regular contributor to The Spectator and the Daily Telegraph newspaper while devoting as much time as possible to writing novels until the outbreak of World War II when he served in the Intelligence Corps as a Liaison Officer with the Allied Forces.
At the end of the War, he returned to writing and in 1953 was appointed Literary Editor of Punch magazine.
Through his writings, Anthony Powell would go on to international fame and in 1973 he declined an offer of knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II. He was made Companion of Honour in 1988.
Anthony Powell died at his home near Frome, Somerset.
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