Alan Brien

{{Short description|English journalist and novelist (1925–2008)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}} {{Use British English|date=April 2012}} '''Alan Brien''' (12 March 1925 – 23 May 2008) was an English journalist best known for his novel ''Lenin''. This took the form of a fictional diary charting Vladimir Lenin's life from the death of his father to shortly before his own demise in 1924.<ref name="Brien1987">{{cite book|author=Alan Brien|title=Lenin: the novel|url=https://archive.org/details/leninnovel00brie|url-access=registration|year=1987|publisher=Morrow|isbn=978-0-688-07944-4}}</ref>

==Biography == Brien was born in Sunderland and educated at Bede Grammar School, and Jesus College, Oxford. He served in the Royal Air Force during World War II.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2008/may/26/pressandpublishing | title=Obituary: Alan Brien | website=TheGuardian.com | date=25 May 2008 }}</ref>

During his career in journalism, Brien worked as a theatre and film critic, columnist and foreign correspondent for a variety of publications, most notably ''The Sunday Times'', ''Punch'', the ''New Statesman'' and ''The Observer''. During the 1960s he appeared on TV as a regular on "Three After Six". The three in question were Benny Green, Dee Wells and Brien. The programme would discuss the day's news and current affairs.<ref>[http://archive.spectator.co.uk/article/14th-january-1966/14/television Amazing Depths], 14 January 1966, The Spectator, retrieved 25 June 2016</ref>

==Personal life and death == Brien died on 23 May 2008, survived by his fourth wife, the writer Jane Hill, with whom he had shared an ancient cottage in Highgate Village.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20081121185851/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article4003723.ece Obituary], The Times</ref> His earlier wives included the British journalist and feminist writer Jill Tweedie.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2008/may/26/pressandpublishing | title=Obituary: Alan Brien | website=TheGuardian.com | date=25 May 2008 }}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *[https://www.theguardian.com/media/2008/may/26/pressandpublishing Obituary: ''Guardian''] *[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/alan-brien-witty-intelligent-journalist-and-author-of-lenin-the-novel-837439.html Obituary: ''Independent'']

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brien, Alan}} Category:1925 births Category:2008 deaths Category:Writers from Sunderland Category:English male journalists Category:British theatre critics Category:English film critics Category:Alumni of Jesus College, Oxford Category:People educated at Bede Grammar School for Boys Category:Royal Air Force personnel of World War II Category:English male novelists Category:20th-century English novelists Category:20th-century English male writers