Alumni
John le Carré
David spoke then about his time in Bern and Lincoln, and the influences that the College and Oxford had on his life and career.
This has been a bumper year for fans of Lincoln’s best-known living alumnus, David Cornwell (1952), better known by his nom-de-plume, John le Carré.
K Vivian Green wearing leather trousers.
His novel, The Night Manager (1993) was the subject of a lavish and gripping serialisation by the BBC, starring Tom Hiddlestone and featuring Cornwell himself in one scene. The series was so successful that there is now pressure for a followup! A movie adaptation of Our Kind of Traitor was also released in May, and featured another cameo performance from Cornwell. In addition, following on from the publication of a biography by Adam Sisman in 2015, David Cornwell publishes a memoir later this year. The Pigeon Tunnel: Stories from my Life will be published by Penguin Random House in September, and promises to reveal more about both his career and the inspiration and dedication underlying his life as a writer over six decades. Cornwell went to school at Sherborne, where he first encountered the Revd Vivian Green, who was Chaplain at the time. He left school early, at 16, and spent a year in Bern, studying German at the University. Lincoln’s strong Swiss connection was not then established, but in recent years it has been greatly strengthened by the Berrow Foundation Scholarships. So we were delighted when, several years ago, the British Ambassador – Lincoln alumnus Simon Featherstone (1977) – hosted an alumni reception at which David gave a most fascinating talk. It was a huge privilege to be there, and it remains one of the highlights of my time here.
One of these was of course Vivian Green, whom David met again when he came up to Lincoln in 1952 to read Modern Languages. Vivian was already here, having arrived in 1951 as Tutor in History and Chaplain, and was present at David’s admission interview, along with the then Rector, Keith Murray. Vivian remained a lasting influence on David, acting as a mentor throughout his time at College, but also long after; while at Lincoln, they went on a walking holiday together in Switzerland, and David credits Vivian for his sound advice and support. Vivian is often recognised as being one of the models for George Smiley, the protagonist of Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy and Smiley’s People, and David agreed that his character and intellect owe much to Vivian, and also paid homage to Vivian’s distinctive dress sense (although Smiley is not portrayed as favouring green leather trousers, his attire is unconventional). They remained close friends until Vivian’s death in 2005, and David gave a moving eulogy at his memorial service here. David Cornwell has touched on his early life in his novels; notably in A Perfect Spy (Hodder & Stoughton, 1986), in which the character Magnus Pym is given a similar upbringing to his own, in particular the relationship with his father, a flamboyant confidence trickster, whose frequent financial difficulties and erratic parenting made for a complicated home life, but who also introduced him to a succession of colourful characters, a useful source of material for the future novelist. However, The Pigeon Tunnel will no doubt reveal much more about his formative experiences.
L A still taken during the filming of The Night Manager. Tom Hiddlestone and Hugh Laurie. © Des Willie/The Ink Factory
Over the years, Lincoln has been proud to welcome David Cornwell back to College and his visits to speak to students and Fellows have been occasions of great excitement. He was elected to an Honorary Fellowship in 1984, and received an Honorary Degree from the University of Oxford in 2012. We’re also delighted that David Cornwell’s literary archive will be left to the Bodleian Library, which has already received its first batch of papers. And finally, fans can look forward to more film and TV adaptations: a TV version of The Spy Who Came in from the Cold is in preparation. ■ Susan Harrison Director of Development Alumni | 27