Aldous Huxley

Julian Huxley was his brother, Ward his aunt and literary godmother, and Orwell briefly a pupil. He met Lawrence, Russell, Strachey, Mansfield, Sassoon, Graves, Fry, Woolf and Bell while working as a high-class labourer during WWl; Fry (he said) extended his education, while Lawrence became a close friend. Krishnamurti was both friend and strong influence, Isherwood collaborated on screenplays, Hubble was a confidant, while his fluent French led to his friendship with Stravinsky. Osmond introduced him to mescalin and Leary to LSD, which he took on his deathbed. Woolf described him as a gigantic grasshopper.