Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse was a prolific English humorist whose career spanned over seven decades of the twentieth century. Born in Guildford, England, he spent his formative years at Dulwich College before briefly working in banking. Finding the financial sector disagreeable, he turned to writing, initially producing school stories before transitioning to the comic fiction that would define his legacy. He quickly established himself as a master of lighthearted prose, creating beloved recurring characters and settings, including the brilliant valet Jeeves and his employer Bertie Wooster, the eccentric Lord Emsworth of Blandings Castle, and the loquacious Psmith.\n\nBeyond his novels, Wodehouse made significant contributions to the American musical theatre. Collaborating with Guy Bolton and Jerome Kern during and after the First World War, he helped shape the development of Broadway musical comedies, and later worked as a screenwriter in Hollywood for MGM. In 1934, he relocated to France. Following the German invasion in 1940, Wodehouse was interned. After his release, he agreed to give five apolitical, comic broadcasts from Berlin to the United States. Though intended as lighthearted updates, these broadcasts sparked immense controversy and anger in wartime Britain, leading to a threat of prosecution that ultimately prevented him from ever returning to his homeland.\n\nWodehouse spent the remainder of his life in the United States, obtaining dual citizenship in 1955. He remained incredibly active, publishing over ninety books, forty plays, and hundreds of short stories. His writing process was meticulous, often taking up to two years to construct intricate plots and detailed scenarios before drafting. His unique prose style seamlessly blended Edwardian slang with classical literary allusions, earning him praise from fellow writers and critics alike. Shortly before his death in 1975 at the age of 93, Wodehouse was awarded a knighthood, cementing his status as one of the English language's greatest comic masters.
