Author: E.M. Forster
Profile: Edward Morgan Forster popular as E.M. Forster is an English writer of short stories, novels, essays and librettos. He was born in Marylebone, England and died in Coventry, England. He completed his education at King’s College, Cambridge.
Hypocrisy and class difference has been examined by him in many of his novels including, A Passage to India, Howards End and A Room with a View. E.M. Forster gained immense success with his last novel, A Passage to India. Actually he was baptized with the name Henry Morgan Forster, however by accident he was baptized as Edward Morgan Forster. After his father died in 1880, he and his mother moved to Rooks Nest, close to Stevenage, Hertfordshire upto the year 1893 which served as an important model for Howards End his novel. The novel has been listed Grade I for literary associations and historic interest. He had good childhood memories at Rooks Nest.
E.M. Forster travelled to Greece and Italy in 1904 as he had keen interest in their classical heritage, went to Germany to learn the language and spent many months in Nassenheide Pomerania to tutor children which he describes as the happiest time of his life. Forster fell in love with a seventeen year old Syed Ross Masood. He travelled with his mother in continental Europe after leaving University.
Writing style: E.M. Forster’s writing styles are symbolism, realism and modernism covering various subjects including gender, class division and homosexuality.
Published Texts:
Novels
1905 – Where Angels Fear to Tread
1907 – The Longest Journey
1908 – A Room with a View
1910 – Howards End
1924 – A Passage to India
1971 – Maurice (written in 1913-1914, published posthumously in 197)
Short Stories
1911 – The Celestial Omnibus (and other stories)
1928 – The Eternal Moment and other stories
1947 – Collected Short Stories
1972 – The Life to Come and other stories
Plays and Pageants
1934 – Abinger Pageant
1940 – England’s Pleasant Land
Film Scripts
1945 – A Diary for Timothy
Libretto
1951 – Billy Budd
Collections of essays and broadcasts
1936 – Abinger Harvest
1951 – Two Cheers for Democracy
1998 – The Prince’s Tale and Other Uncollected Writings
Literary criticism
1927 – Aspects of the Novel
2001 – The Feminine Note in Literature
The Creator as Critic and Other Writings
Biography
1934 – Goldsworthy
1956 – Marianne Thornton, A Domestic Biography
Travel Writing
1922 – Alexandria: A History and Guide
1923 – Pharos and Pharillon
1953 – The Hill of Devi
Awards and Acknowledgements:
James Tait Black Memorial Prize (A Passage to India)
1937 – Benson Medal
In sixteen separate years he has been nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature.