The Books of Derek Monsey

Photograph,. Photographer 'Life'. Loomis Dean.

Derek Monsey: author, playwright, screenwriter, and critic. Derek, who worked for publications like 'Picture Post' and 'Express Newspapers', also ran as a Liberal Party candidate in the 1959 General Election for the Cities of London and Westminster constituency. After marrying Yvonne Mitchell on June 24, 1952, they later moved to the south of France in 1960 with their daughter Cordelia, where they lived throughout the decade and both authored several novels while living in a Chateau between Grasse and Cannes. Characters from their respective books would on occassion make appearances in one another’s novels, such as the character called Voldi. Derek's books 'The Adulterer' and 'Big Picture' and Yvonne's 'Cathy Away', and 'Cathy at Home' both include Voldi within there covers. 

Derek’s ‘The Hero’ recounts the escape of a World War Two prisoner from an Italian POW camp. The book is based on the real-life account of Derek himself, who, after being captured and taken prisoner in the war, later escaped and hid out in the Italian Aurunci Mountains.