W. Somerset Maugham was a British novelist, playwright, short- story writer, and the highest paid author in the world in 1930s. He was born on Jan. 25 1874 in Paris, France, the sixth and the youngest son of the solicitor to the British embassy. His parents die at the age of 10, he was sent to live with his uncle, Reverend Henry MacDonald Maugham. He was educated at King’s School, Canterbury where he developed a stammer, which he never grew out of. He studied medicine at Heidelberg University for six years. But he abandoned his studies for the success of his first novels and plays. His first official novel appeared in 1897 titled Liza of Lambeth, which drew on his experiences of attending women in childbirth. Following the release of his first novel his first play, A Man of Honour, was produced in 1903. One of his breakthrough novels was the semi bio Of Human Bondage. This was considered his outstanding achievement.
During the outbreak of WW I, Maugham volunteered for the Red Cross. There he met his secret lover Fredrick Gerald Haxton, an American who became his companion for the several decades. In 1917 he married Syrie Barnado Wellcome, who was married at the time too. They had a girl name Elizabeth ‘Liza’ Mary Maugham. They were divorced a year later and after he returned to Russia and spent a year in a sanatorium in Scotland. Afterword’s he set off to the Eastern Asia with Haxton.
In 1928 Maugham settled in Cape ferrat in France. Once his lover died he found a new companion who he adopted as his son named Alan Searle. While in Capri he adored the homosexual and lesbian company. Fast forward through time he developed dementia and hid his personal life by burning his correspondence. He lost 1.4 million dollars to his daughter for disgracing his ex in one of his works and denied his daughter as his own. He died in Nice on December 16, 1965.

Kimani Grey-Campbell