Jenny Diski established herself as one of the most versatile prose writers of her generation. She was born Jennifer Simmonds in London in 1947; her parents, descendents of Jewish immigrants to England, lead a tumultuous marriage that resulted in her father’s permanent absence. Following a drug overdose in 1961 that provided her with a first personal experience with British psychiatric institutions, she spent four years living with writer Doris Lessing, whose son she knew from school; Lessing and Diski rarely discuss their relationship. Later, Diski worked as a teacher in Hackney before becoming a full-time writer; she had one ex-husband and one daughter. She continued living in London until her move, entirely for romantic reasons, to Cambridge in 2000.
Diski’s literary output falls
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Citation: Bayer, Gerd. "Jenny Diski". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 26 February 2009 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=5713, accessed 22 November 2024.]
