OBITUARY : Sir John Waller Bt
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Several of the best-known of today's poets owe their success and confidence to the encouragement given them in youth by Sir John Waller, writers Tony Van den Bergh [further to the obituary by Victor Selwyn, 21 February]. A talented poet/ publisher in his own right, John, though capable of sardonic comment on other matters, would never intentionally wound a young creative writer, however fragile his verse.
He had a dual personality. On the one hand, the sensitive man of literature, on the other, the hard-drinking, unashamed homosexual who believed all publicity was good publicity.
When he learnt that if he fathered a son he would inherit a quarter of a million, he informed the press he was going to seek a suitable French girl to bear his child. He made front-page headlines. True to his word, he toured the Continent in a caravan accompanied by his male lover of the moment. Unfortunately the girl he chose turned out to have had a sex change. He made the headlines again.
John Waller relished his contacts with the underworld. He boasted publicly of having rented out his flat to card-sharpers who intended using tinted contact lenses with marked cards to exploit Nureyev's and Fonteyn's obsession with gambling.
Charles Richardson, the south London gangster, explains in his autobiography how he appointed Sir John to his board to give the impression of respectability to his activities.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments