R.C. Sherriff author page

R.C. Sherriff biography

R.C. Sherriff was an English playwright, novelist, and screenwriter. He is best known for his play Journey’s End, which was first performed in London in 1928. Born Robert Cedric Sherriff, he attended Kingston Grammar School and later studied at New College, Oxford, after serving in the First World War. Sherriff served as an officer in the East Surrey Regiment during the war, and his experiences in the trenches influenced much of his later writing.

After the war, Sherriff worked as an insurance adjuster before turning to writing. Journey’s End, set in the trenches of the First World War, brought him critical recognition and has been regularly revived and adapted for film and television. Following the success of Journey’s End, Sherriff wrote several other plays, including Badger’s Green (1930) and St Helena (1936).

Sherriff also wrote novels, such as The Fortnight in September (1931) and Greengates (1936). His work as a screenwriter included contributions to films such as The Invisible Man (1933), Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939), and Odd Man Out (1947). He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for Goodbye, Mr. Chips in 1940.

Sherriff’s writing is noted for its focus on character and the effects of war and change on ordinary people. His play Journey’s End remains a significant work in British theatre and is frequently studied in schools. In 1931, his novel The Fortnight in September was published by Victor Gollancz.