Olivia Manning
Olivia Manning CBE was a British novelist, poet, writer and reviewer whose work frequently detailed personal journeys set across England, Ireland, Europe and the Middle East.
In August 1939, she married R.D. Smith, a British Council lecturer, and accompanied him to Bucharest, Greece, Egypt and Palestine as the Nazis advanced through Eastern Europe.
These experiences formed the basis for her most celebrated work: the six novels comprising The Balkan Trilogy and The Levant Trilogy, collectively known as Fortunes of War.
Her books are admired for vivid descriptions and artistic observation.
Recognition came posthumously when Fortunes of War was televised in 1987.
