Alfred Reynolds (writer)
Encyclopedia
Alfred Reynolds (b. 13 December 1907, Budapest
, d. 1993, London) was a writer on social and religious topics.
and at the University of Leipzig
(1928–1931). In 1931 he founded the literary magazine Haladás (Progress), in which he published the poets Miklós Radnóti
, István Vass and Mihály-András Rónai. The police forced him to close the magazine, but he started a left-leaning monthly, Névtelen Jegyző (Anonymous Chronicler), which published Reynolds's only collection of poetry, Első és utolsó lírai kötete (First and Last Book of Lyrics) (1932) before it too was closed down. Reynolds briefly joined the Communist Party of Hungary
, leaving after Stalin's assassination of Sergey Kirov
in 1934. He was imprisoned, subsequently placed under police observation and lost his job.
In 1936 he escaped from Hungary and went to London where he lived for the rest of his life. He was in the British Army
during the Second World War and joined the Intelligence Corps in 1944, participating in the programme of denazification
.
In post-war London Reynolds was the main figure in a libertarian
group called the Bridge Circle. Articles from its journal, the London Letter, are collected in Pilate's Question (1982), the title essay of which was the group's central focus of attention. Writers who early in their careers attended Bridge Circle meetings included Nicolas Walter
, Bill Hopkins
and Stuart Holroyd
. Most notable was Colin Wilson
, who has said he first wrote The Outsider
as a riposte to Pilate's Question.
Reynolds' Jesus versus Christianity (1988) contrasts the teachings of Jesus with the doctrines of the Christian churches. A copy of his early volume of poetry was rediscovered in 1980 by the literary critic François Bréda
in a bookshop in Cluj-Napoca
, Romania. In 1993 Bréda and the poet Géza Szőcs
invited Reynolds to Cluj-Napoca
where, at the age of 85, he was well received in literary circles.
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, d. 1993, London) was a writer on social and religious topics.
Biography
Reynolds was born into a wealthy family in Budapest, of a Jewish mother and a Roman Catholic father. He was educated at schools in Budapest and ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and at the University of Leipzig
University of Leipzig
The University of Leipzig , located in Leipzig in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, is one of the oldest universities in the world and the second-oldest university in Germany...
(1928–1931). In 1931 he founded the literary magazine Haladás (Progress), in which he published the poets Miklós Radnóti
Miklós Radnóti
Miklós Radnóti, birth name Miklós Glatter was a Hungarian poet who died in The Holocaust.-Personality and early life:...
, István Vass and Mihály-András Rónai. The police forced him to close the magazine, but he started a left-leaning monthly, Névtelen Jegyző (Anonymous Chronicler), which published Reynolds's only collection of poetry, Első és utolsó lírai kötete (First and Last Book of Lyrics) (1932) before it too was closed down. Reynolds briefly joined the Communist Party of Hungary
Hungarian Communist Party
The Communist Party of Hungary , renamed Hungarian Communist Party in 1945, was founded on November 24, 1918, and was in power in Hungary briefly from March to August 1919 under Béla Kun and the Hungarian Soviet Republic. The communist government was overthrown by the Romanian Army and driven...
, leaving after Stalin's assassination of Sergey Kirov
Sergey Kirov
Sergei Mironovich Kirov , born Sergei Mironovich Kostrikov, was a prominent early Bolshevik leader in the Soviet Union. Kirov rose through the Communist Party ranks to become head of the Party organization in Leningrad...
in 1934. He was imprisoned, subsequently placed under police observation and lost his job.
In 1936 he escaped from Hungary and went to London where he lived for the rest of his life. He was in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
during the Second World War and joined the Intelligence Corps in 1944, participating in the programme of denazification
Denazification
Denazification was an Allied initiative to rid German and Austrian society, culture, press, economy, judiciary, and politics of any remnants of the National Socialist ideology. It was carried out specifically by removing those involved from positions of influence and by disbanding or rendering...
.
In post-war London Reynolds was the main figure in a libertarian
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
group called the Bridge Circle. Articles from its journal, the London Letter, are collected in Pilate's Question (1982), the title essay of which was the group's central focus of attention. Writers who early in their careers attended Bridge Circle meetings included Nicolas Walter
Nicolas Walter
Nicolas Hardy Walter was a British anarchist and atheist writer, speaker and activist.-Career overview:Walter was born in London; his father was the neurophysiologist and pioneer of cybernetics, William Grey Walter...
, Bill Hopkins
Bill Hopkins (novelist)
Bill Hopkins was an English novelist and journalist, and has been grouped with the Angry Young Men. His father was Ted Hopkins, a popular stage performer; his mother Violet Brodrick....
and Stuart Holroyd
Stuart Holroyd
Stuart Holroyd is a British writer.He first came to prominence for the philosophical and critical works produced during his close association with the writers Colin Wilson and Bill Hopkins, but has since written prolifically on parapsychology, contacts with extraterrestrial life, sexual love and...
. Most notable was Colin Wilson
Colin Wilson
Colin Henry Wilson is a prolific English writer who first came to prominence as a philosopher and novelist. Wilson has since written widely on true crime, mysticism and other topics. He prefers calling his philosophy new existentialism or phenomenological existentialism.- Early biography:Born and...
, who has said he first wrote The Outsider
The Outsider (Colin Wilson)
The Outsider is a non-fiction book by Colin Wilson first published in 1956.Through the works and lives of various artists - including H. G. Wells , Franz Kafka, Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre, T. S. Eliot, Ernest Hemingway, Harley Granville-Barker , Hermann Hesse, T. E...
as a riposte to Pilate's Question.
Reynolds' Jesus versus Christianity (1988) contrasts the teachings of Jesus with the doctrines of the Christian churches. A copy of his early volume of poetry was rediscovered in 1980 by the literary critic François Bréda
François Bréda
François Bréda , essayist, poet, literary critic, literary historian, translator, theatrologist.- Biography :On his mother's side he is grandson of writer, settlement historian, professor Lajos Lévai from Odorheiu Secuiesc. Her mother is educationalist Enikő Zsuzsanna Lévai...
in a bookshop in Cluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca , commonly known as Cluj, is the fourth most populous city in Romania and the seat of Cluj County in the northwestern part of the country. Geographically, it is roughly equidistant from Bucharest , Budapest and Belgrade...
, Romania. In 1993 Bréda and the poet Géza Szőcs
Géza Szőcs
Géza Szőcs is an ethnic Hungarian poet and politician from Transylvania, Romania, current Secretary of State for Culture of the Ministry of National Resources in Hungary since 2 June 2010.-Life:...
invited Reynolds to Cluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca , commonly known as Cluj, is the fourth most populous city in Romania and the seat of Cluj County in the northwestern part of the country. Geographically, it is roughly equidistant from Bucharest , Budapest and Belgrade...
where, at the age of 85, he was well received in literary circles.
Works
- Reinhold Alfréd, Első és utolsó lírai kötete, Névtelen Jegyző kiadása, BudapestBudapestBudapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, 1932. http://picasaweb.google.ro/breda.fr/Reinhold?authkey=Gv1sRgCMvas-Xx46ntvAE# - Alfred Reynolds, The Hidden Years. Introduction by Colin WilsonColin WilsonColin Henry Wilson is a prolific English writer who first came to prominence as a philosopher and novelist. Wilson has since written widely on true crime, mysticism and other topics. He prefers calling his philosophy new existentialism or phenomenological existentialism.- Early biography:Born and...
. CambridgeCambridgeThe city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
International Publishers, London, 1981. - Alfred Reynolds, Pilate's Question. Twenty years of articles, essays and sketches (1950–1970). CambridgeCambridgeThe city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
International Publishers, London, 1982. - Alfred Reynolds, Jesus Versus Christianity. Open Gate Press, 393 p., 1988, 1993.
Online texts
- Reinhold Alfréd, Első és utolsó lírai kötete, Névtelen Jegyző kiadása, Budapest, 1932. http://picasaweb.google.ro/breda.fr/Reinhold?authkey=Gv1sRgCMvas-Xx46ntvAE#