author
Arthur Bingham Walkley
1855–1926
Best known as A. B. Walkley, he balanced two demanding careers at once: a senior post office official by day and one of England’s most influential drama critics in print. His writing helped shape early 20th-century conversations about the theater, especially through his long association with The Times.
1 Audiobook
Pastiche and prejudice
by Arthur Bingham Walkley
About the author
Born in Bristol in 1855, Arthur Bingham Walkley was educated at Oxford and went on to build an unusual double career. He worked for the British General Post Office for decades, rising to senior positions, while also becoming widely known as a drama critic and essayist.
Walkley wrote for The Times for many years and earned a reputation for clear, intelligent, often elegant criticism. He was closely connected with the theatrical life of his period and is often remembered in connection with George Bernard Shaw, who dedicated Man and Superman to him after a suggestion from Walkley helped spark the play.
Alongside his journalism, he published books of criticism and reflection, including work on drama and literature. He died in 1926, but he remains an interesting figure for readers who enjoy the history of theater, criticism, and literary life in late Victorian and Edwardian Britain.