Arnold Wesker

Anne Etienne (University College Cork)
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One of the foremost playwrights of his generation, Arnold Wesker is considered something of an outsider in England, an assertion made by critics Ronald Bryden in 1966 and Michael Billington in 2000. Wesker is never where the audience, or the Establishment, expects him to be. He is not an agent provocateur, but a writer for whom words should be bridges, meant to prompt action. Acclaimed for his first five plays, his trademark experimentation with style has created some resistance from critics and public alike. He has written 44 plays to date, as well as short stories, film and television scripts, poetry and the essays collected in 

Fears of Fragmentation

, which describe his vision of Centre 42,

Distinctions

and

Wesker on Theatre

. He is currently finishing his first novel. However, only two…

3315 words

Citation: Etienne, Anne. "Arnold Wesker". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 07 December 2004; last revised 17 January 2022. [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=4663, accessed 28 March 2024.]

4663 Arnold Wesker 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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