Born in London, the son of a wealthy businessman, Ronald Firbank was educated at Uppingham and Cambridge University. In 1909 he converted to Roman Catholicism and left the university without taking a degree. Instead, he embarked on extensive travels in Spain, Italy, the Middle East, and North Africa. By nature he was a rather solitary individual, perhaps because of his rather delicate health and his homosexuality. Firbank's first novel, Vainglory (1915), was originally published privately, as were other early works. He wrote his novels on blue postcards. Though slight, these works were innovative and prefigured the works of such writers as Ivy Compton-Burnett and Evelyn Waugh. Elements in the work of Aldous Huxley, Angus Wilson, and Iris Murdoch can also be attributed to Firbank's creativity.
Firbank's original and subtle novels have appealed to a small but appreciative audience, and, during the 1950s and early 1960s, he posthumously acquired a band of devoted disciples. Firbank had a fine disdain for plot and a taste for eccentric characters. The world he created was small and creditable. The Complete Ronald Firbank (1961), with a preface by Anthony Powell, is a worthwhile edition of his works.
Still a young man, Ronald Firbank died in Rome in 1926.
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