P. G. Wodehouse

P. G. Wodehouse (1881–1975) was an English writer widely regarded as one of the greatest humorists in twentieth-century literature. Born in Guildford, Surrey, and educated at Dulwich College, he initially worked at a bank before turning to journalism and fiction. He spent much of his adult life in the United States and France, and his career spanned more than seventy years, producing nearly one hundred books, as well as numerous plays and musical comedies written in collaboration with figures such as Cole Porter and Jerome Kern.

Wodehouse is best known for his comic novels featuring memorable characters and elaborate plots. His most celebrated creations include Bertie Wooster and his ingenious valet Jeeves, who appear in works such as The Inimitable Jeeves (1923), Right Ho, Jeeves (1934), and The Code of the Woosters (1938). He also created the idyllic world of Blandings Castle, home to the absent-minded Lord Emsworth, in novels like Leave It to Psmith (1923) and Summer Lightning (1929). Other notable works feature the resourceful Psmith and the mischievous Uncle Fred.

Despite wartime controversy over his broadcasts from Berlin, Wodehouse's reputation endured. He was knighted in 1975, shortly before his death, leaving behind an unmatched legacy of English comedic prose.