Benson, Peter

(British, 1956– )

Benson was born in Kent; he became a full-time writer following the success of his first novel, The Levels (1987). Begin with this narrative of adolescent love in lyrically evoked rural Dorset, which combines subtlety and depth with poised simplicity of style. Odo's Hanging (1993) is an intricately constructed account of the making of the Bayeux tapestry. Bishop Odo struggles to oversee the work amid political intrigues and religious crises. Brighton forms the setting for Private Moon (1995), a tragi-comic treatment of middle-age. Its unsuccessful hero finds his world descending into chaos as he learns to live with a pregnant woman.

  Graham Swift, P. J. Kavanagh  DH