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Derrick Leon

1908 – 1944

British writer

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About Derrick Leon

Lived 1908 – 1944 (aged 35–36). Derrick Leon was a writer and literary historian.

Derrick Lewis Leon (1908–1944) was a British author, who was born in London in 1908, and died of tuberculosis in November 1944, aged 36, shortly after completing the first draft of his biography of John Ruskin (Ruskin: The Great Victorian), published by Routledge & Kegan Paul in 1949.

Leon made his living as an interior decorator, but by the time of his death, he had earned himself a reputation as a fine biographer, with works on Leo Tolstoy and Marcel Proust. Leon had also published three novels before his death. The first one, Livingstones; A Novel of Contemporary Life was published in 1933; Wilderness was published in 1935; and Green for a Season was published in 1938.

His biography of Ruskin cast new light on John Ruskin's personal tragedies, in particular his "harrowing obsession" with Rose La Touche, as well as his public life and his work. After Leon's death, his biography of Ruskin was subjected to a quotation check and grammatical corrections by George Leon, his brother, who was a quantity-surveyor by profession.

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Important facts

Born
1908
Birth century
Died
1944
Also known as
Derrick Lewis Leon

People in Derrick Leon's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Derrick Leon's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Derrick Leon?

British writer

When was Derrick Leon born?

Derrick Leon was born in 1908.

When did Derrick Leon die?

Derrick Leon died in 1944.

What was Derrick Leon's occupation?

Derrick Leon was a writer and literary historian.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Derrick Leon

· Wikidata: Q5263052

· DBpedia: Derrick Leon

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Derrick Leon. https://biography.guide/derrick-leon/

MLA: "Derrick Leon." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/derrick-leon/.

Chicago: "Derrick Leon." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/derrick-leon/.

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