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Gavin Maxwell

Scottish natural historian and author (1914–1969) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gavin Maxwell
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Gavin Maxwell FRSL FZS FRGS (15 July 1914  7 September 1969) was a Scottish naturalist and author, best known for his non-fiction writing and his work with otters. He became most famous for Ring of Bright Water (1960) and its sequels, which described his experiences raising Iraqi and West African otters on the west coast of Scotland. One of his Iraqi otters was of a previously unknown sub-species which was subsequently named after Maxwell. Ring of Bright Water sold more than a million copies and was made into a film starring Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna in 1969.[2] His other books described sharking in the Hebrides and his travels in Iraq, Morocco, and Algeria, as well as studies of recent history in Sicily and Morocco.

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Early life

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The "House of Elrig" – Gavin Maxwell's childhood home. Arylick farm to right and Elrig Loch in the background.

Gavin Maxwell was the youngest son of Lieutenant-Colonel Aymer Maxwell and Lady Mary Percy, fifth daughter of the seventh Duke of Northumberland.[3] His paternal grandfather, Sir Herbert Maxwell, 7th Baronet, was an archaeologist, politician and natural historian.[3]

Maxwell was born at The House of Elrig near the small village of Elrig, near Port William, in Wigtownshire, south-western Scotland. Maxwell's relatives still live in the area and the family's ancient estate and grounds are in nearby Monreith.

Maxwell's education took place at a succession of preparatory and public schools, including the sporty Heddon Court School[4] at East Barnet, St Cyprian's School, where he found encouragement for his interest in natural history, and Stowe School. In The Rocks Remain, he relates how family pressure led him to take a degree in Estate Management at Hertford College, Oxford, where he spent his time pursuing sporting and leisure activities instead of studying. He cheated his way through the intermediate exams but passed the final examinations honestly, having crammed the entire three-year course in six weeks.[3]

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Former HQ of The Island of Soay Shark Fisheries Ltd, started by Maxwell
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A blue plaque commemorating Maxwell as a writer and naturalist at the house where he lived in Paultons Square in Chelsea, London

During World War II, Maxwell served as an instructor with the Special Operations Executive. He was invalided out with the rank of Major in 1944. After the war, he purchased the Isle of Soay off Skye in the Inner Hebrides, Scotland. According to his book Harpoon at a Venture (1952), poor planning and a lack of finance meant his attempt to establish a basking shark fishery there between 1945 and 1948 proved unsuccessful and the island was sold to his business partner, Tex Geddes.

Living in London from 1949, Maxwell became involved with a circle of artists, including Meary James Thurairajah Tambimuttu. Tambimuttu in turn introduced Maxwell to Kathleen Raine in August 1949,[5] and which led to a complex but intermittent friendship that lasted until Maxwell's death. [6] Maxwell and Raine became friends of British-Swiss Nobel Prize winner Elias Canetti, who advised both of them in navigating some of the emotional difficulties that came between Maxwell and Raine.[7]

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Career

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In 1956, Maxwell toured the reed marshes of southern Iraq with explorer Wilfred Thesiger, Maxwell's wife's first cousin once removed. Maxwell's account of their trip appears in A Reed Shaken By The Wind, later published under the title People of the Reeds. It was hailed by The New York Times as "near perfect".[8]

Since 1948, Maxwell had been using a borrowed cottage in Sandaig[9] as a writer's retreat (which he called Camusfeàrna in his books). Sandaig was a small community opposite Isleornsay on a remote part of the Scottish mainland. This is where his "otter books" are set. After Ring of Bright Water (1960), his newfound fame did not sit well with him:

He couldn't cope with it. He wasn't a strong man that way, so he couldn't deal with it. But he didn't want anyone to know that, so he started drinking more; he started smoking more. And the pressures became more because we started spending more money. Next thing, agent was on the phone: 'We're broke; we need a sequel.' So, he wrote The Rocks Remain, the sequel to Ring of Bright Water, which was a disaster because it was written in a hurry. It didn't have the same beauty, it didn't have the same anything as Ring of Bright Water. That was the beginning of the end really. — Terry Nutkins, 2010[10]

In The Rocks Remain (1963), the otters Edal, Teko, Mossy and Monday show great differences in personality. The book demonstrates the difficulty Maxwell was having, possibly as a result of his mental state, in remaining focused on one project and the impact that had on his otters, Sandaig and his own life.

In 1960–1962, he made several trips to Morocco and Algeria. He published accounts of his experiences in North Africa, including his description of the aftermath of the 1960 Agadir earthquake, in The Rocks Remain (1963). In Morocco, he was assisted by the monarchy's head of Press Services and Minister of Information Moulay Ahmed Alaoui, and by the anticolonial activist and journalist Margaret Pope, who Maxwell referred to in The Rocks Remain under a pseudonym, "Prudence Hazell." Pope recruited Maxwell to travel to Algiers in January 1961 to collect information for the Algerian revolutionary National Liberation Front (FLN). Maxwell also began research for a non-fiction book tracing the dramatic lives of the last rulers of Marrakech under the French, eventually published in 1966 as Lords of the Atlas: The Rise and Fall of the House of Glaoua 1893–1956.[11][12] During the Moroccan Years of Lead, the regime there considered his book subversive and banned its importation.[13]

In The House of Elrig (1965), Maxwell describes his family history and his passion for the calf-country, Galloway, where he was born. It was during this period that he met ornithologist Peter Scott and the young Terry Nutkins, who later became a children's television presenter.

In 1968, Maxwell's Sandaig home was destroyed by fire, in which Edal perished,[10] and he moved to the lighthouse keepers' cottages on Eilean Bàn (White Island), an island between the Isle of Skye and the Scottish mainland by the village of Kyleakin. He invited John Lister-Kaye to join him on Eilean Bàn to help him build a zoo on the island and work on a book about British wild mammals. Lister-Kaye accepted the invitation, but both projects were abandoned when Maxwell died from lung cancer[14] in a hospital in Inverness[14] the following year.[15]

Maxwell's literary agent was Peter Janson-Smith,[16] who was also agent for James Bond author Ian Fleming. Maxwell lived from 1957 to 1965 at number 9 Paultons Square in London. This was the home of Kathleen Raine, who rented out the ground floor and basement to Maxwell, while she initially retained the top floor as a separate flat.[17]

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Memorials

Eilean Bàn now supports a pier of the Skye Bridge, built during the 1990s. Despite modern traffic a hundred feet or so above it, the island is a commemorative wildlife sanctuary as well as a museum dedicated to Maxwell, located inside his final home. It is open to the public from spring through to autumn.[18] Another memorial is a bronze otter sculpture by Penny Wheatley, commissioned in 1978 by the Galloway Wildlife Trust, at Glasserton, Monreith, near to St Medan's Golf Club and overlooking Luce Bay.[19] There is a plaque on the side - also found at Eileen Bàn - with the words "Gavin Maxwell 1914-1969, author and naturalist, haec loca puer amavit, vir celebravit." which from Latin can be translated as "This place he loved as a boy, made famous as a man".[20]

Personal life

Privately homosexual,[21] Maxwell married Lavinia Renton (daughter of The Right Honourable Sir Alan Lascelles and granddaughter of Viscount Chelmsford, Wilfred Thesiger's uncle) on 1 February 1962. The marriage lasted little more than a year and they divorced in 1964.

According to Douglas Botting, Maxwell suffered from bipolar disorder throughout his life.[22]

Gavin Maxwell's otter

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Statue of Maxwell's otter at Monreith by Penny Wheatley, 1978.

Maxwell's book Ring of Bright Water describes how, in 1956, he brought a smooth-coated otter back from Iraq and raised it in Camusfeàrna at Sandaig Bay on the west coast of Scotland.[23] He took the otter, called Mijbil, to the London Zoological Society, where it was decided that this was a previously unknown subspecies of smooth-coated otter. It was therefore named Lutrogale perspicillata maxwelli (or, colloquially, "Maxwell's otter") after him. While it was thought to have become extinct in the alluvial salt marshes of Iraq as a result of the large-scale drainage of the area that started in the 1960s, newer surveys suggest large populations remain throughout its range, though they still remain vulnerable.[24][25]

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Maxwell's memorial boulder on the former site of his Camusfeàrna home

In his book The Marsh Arabs, Wilfred Thesiger wrote:

[I]n 1956, Gavin Maxwell, who wished to write a book about the Marshes, came with me to Iraq, and I took him round in my tarada for seven weeks. He had always wanted an otter as a pet, and at last, I found him a baby European otter which unfortunately died after a week, towards the end of his visit. He was in Basra preparing to go home when I managed to obtain an otter, which I sent to him. This, very dark in colour and about six weeks old, proved to be a new species. Gavin took it to England, and the species was named after him.

The otter became woven into the fabric of Maxwell's life. The title of his book Ring of Bright Water was taken from the poem "The Marriage of Psyche" by Kathleen Raine, who said in her autobiography that Maxwell had been the love of her life. Raine's relationship with Maxwell deteriorated after 1956 when she indirectly caused the death of Mijbil. Raine held herself responsible not only for losing Mijbil but for a curse she had uttered shortly beforehand, frustrated by Maxwell's homosexuality: "Let Gavin suffer in this place as I am suffering now." Raine blamed herself thereafter for all Maxwell's misfortunes, beginning with Mijbil's death and ending with the cancer that took him at age 55 on 7 September 1969.[26][27][2]

Maxwell's ashes were placed beneath a boulder at the former site of his house Camusfeàrna. The boulder marks the position of his writing desk.[10]

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Bibliography

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  • Harpoon at a Venture. London: Rupert Hart-Davis, 1952. USA edition: Harpoon Venture. New York: The Viking Press, 1952.
    • Reissued several times, including paperback - Edinburgh: Birlinn, 2013 ISBN 9781780271804; and ebook: Edinburgh: Birlinn, 2013; ISBN 9780857907042
    • French edition: Trois saisons de chasse aux requins géants (Three seasons hunting basking sharks). Paris: Amiot-Dumont, 1952. Spanish: Yo compré una isla (I Bought an Island). Barcelona: Aymá, 1953. Italian: Arpioni da ventura. Rome: Bompiani, 1954.
    • Available for online borrowing: Harpoon at a Venture at the Internet Archive. London: New English Library, 1972.
  • God Protect Me from My Friends. London: Longmans, 1956. USA edition: Bandit. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1956.
    • Reissued with bigger print run by the Readers Union book club under a new cover and layout. London: Readers Union, 1957.
    • Reissued as paperback with revisions. London: Pan, 1972 ISBN 9780330027878.
    • French edition: Giuliano: bandit sicilien (Giuliano: Sicilian bandit). Paris: Plon, 1959. Italian: Dagli amici mi guardi Iddio. Rome: Feltrinelli, 1957). German: Wer erschoss Salvatore Giuliano? (Who shot Salvatore Giuliano?). Hamburg: Rowohlt, 1963. Dutch: Bewaar mij voor mijn vrienden (Protect me from my friends). Amsterdam: de Boer, 1957
  • A Reed Shaken by the Wind. London: Longmans, 1957. USA edition: People of the Reeds. New York, Harper & Brothers, 1957.
    • Reissued with bigger print run by the Readers Union book club under a new cover and layout. London: Readers Union, 1959.
    • Reissued several times, including paperback - London: Eland, 2003 ISBN 978-0907871934; and ebook: London, Eland, 2003 ISBN 978-1780600604.
    • French edition: Le peuple des roseaux (People of the Reeds). Paris: Flammarion, 1960. German: Ein Rohr, vom Winde bewegt. Berlin: Ullstein, 1959. Swedish: Ett rö vinden (A Gust of Wind). Stockholm: Norstedt, 1958. Arabic: قصبة في مهب الريح (A Reed in the Wind). Beirut: Dar al-Hayat, 1968. Dutch: Volk in riet en modder (People in Reeds and Mud). Amsterdam: de Boer, 1958.
    • Available for online borrowing: A Reed Shaken by the Wind at the Internet Archive. London: Eland, 1994.
  • The Ten Pains of Death. London: Longmans, 1959. USA edition, same title: New York: Dutton, 1960.
    • Paperback reissued - Gloucester, Alan Sutton, 1986 ISBN 978-0862992897.
    • German edition: Die zehn Todesqualen. Hamburg: Rowohlt, 1961. Dutch: Als de kinderen huilen gaan we stelen (When the Children Cry, We Steal). Antwerp: Diogenes, 1961. Swedish:Dödens tio plågor. Stockholm: Norstedt, 1961.
    • Available for online borrowing: The Ten Pains of Death at the Internet Archive. London: Longmans, 1959.
  • Ring of Bright Water. Illustrated by Peter Scott. London: Longmans, 1960. USA edition, same title: New York: Dutton, 1960.
    • Reissued many times in hardback, paperback, audiobook, Braille, large print and ebook formats.
    • Recent reissues - Bridport: Little Toller Books, 2014 ISBN 978-0956254504 - paperback and ebook. Includes a 5 page introduction by Sir John Lister-Kaye written in 2009.
    • Centenary reissue: Lewes: Unicorn Publishing, 2014 ISBN 9781910065099 - hardback. Includes a foreword by Kate Humble, illustrated by Mark Adlington.
    • Folio Society hardback reissue: London: Folio Society, 2015. Includes 8 page introduction by Robert Macfarlane. illustrated by Michael Ayrton.
    • There are many foreign language translations in various formats. Titles vary, sometimes within the same language. Examples - French: Mes amies les outres (My friends the otters); Italian: L'Annello di acque lucenti and ; Spanish: El círculo de agua clara; German: Mein geliebter Haustyrann (My beloved domestic tyrant) and Ein Ring aus hellem Wasser (ebook available).
    • Available for online borrowing: Ring of Bright Water at the Internet Archive. London: Longmans, 1960.
  • The Otters' Tale. London: Longmans, 1962. USA edition, same title: New York: Dutton, 1962.
    • An abridged version of Ring of Bright Water, aimed at children, to focus on the otters. Has a new introduction from the author. Many additional photos compared to the original Ring of Bright Water.
    • Reissued several times, most recent: Harmondsworth: Puffin, 1977 ISBN 9780140309157; Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1979 ISBN 9780140309157.
    • Italian edition: Racconto delle lontre. Florence: Sansoni, 1978.
    • Available for online borrowing: The Otters' Tale at the Internet Archive. New York: Dutton, 1962.
  • The Rocks Remain. London: Longmans, 1963. USA edition, same title: New York: Dutton, 1963.
    • Reissued several times, including in large print and Braille editions.
    • Reissued as paperback: Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1984 ISBN 9780140039269.
    • German edition: Heim zu meinen ottern (At Home with my Otter). Berlin: Ullstein, 1963. Italian: La Baia degli Ontani (The Bay of Otters). Milan: Rizzoli, 1986.
    • Available for online borrowing: The Rocks Remain at the Internet Archive. London: Longmans, 1963.
  • Seals of the World. London: Constable, 1967, second in Constable World Wildlife series. USA edition, same title: Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1967.
    • Written in collaboration with John Stidworthy and David Williams.
    • Available for online borrowing: Seals of the World at the Internet Archive. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1967.
  • The Ring of Bright Water Trilogy. London: Viking, 2001 ISBN 9780670889921. USA edition: Ring of bright water: a trilogy. Boston: Nonpareil, 2011 ISBN 9781567924008.
    • Abridged and edited by Austin Chinn. This trilogy was edited down to a single volume, published 32 years after Maxwell's death. It includes about 70% of Ring of Bright Water, and less than half of The Rocks Remain and Raven Seek Thy Brother. One page introduction by Jimmy Watt, three page afterword by Virginia McKenna.
    • Reissued as paperback - Harmondsworth: Penguin, 2001 ISBN 9780140290493 and ebook: ISBN 9780141927206. USA ebook - Boston: Nonpareil, 2011; ISBN 9781567924848

As of July 2025, the following works are not available as commercial ebooks: God Protect Me from My Friends, The Ten Pains of Death, The Otters' Tale, The House of Elrig, Seals of the World. Two books, The Rocks Remain and Raven Seek Thy Brother are only available as commercial ebooks in abridged form, via The Ring of Bright Water Trilogy. Most of Maxwell's original titles are available as non-commercial online digitalisations as noted above, as part of the Open Library initiative. The one exception is God Protect me from my Friends, which is currently not available as commercial ebook or as an Open Library resource. Currently The Ring of Bright Water Trilogy is available as a commercial ebook, but only a limited access library digitalisation.

Biography

  • Maxwell's Ghost - An Epilogue to Gavin Maxwell's Camusfeàrna by Richard Frere. London: Victor Gollancz, 1976 ISBN 9780575020443.
    • Reissued (1999) ISBN 1-84158-003-1 and (2011) ISBN 978-1780270111.
    • This book covers the period from 1962 to 1969, when Frere and his wife, Joan Frere, were employed by Maxwell on various building projects and managing his company. It detailed how Maxwell's mood swings could strain his friendships, and contained the first public acknowledgement of Maxwell's homosexuality. [28]
    • Available for online borrowing: Maxwell's Ghost at the Internet Archive. London: Victor Gollancz, 1976.
  • The Adventures of Gavin Maxwell compiled and edited by Richard M. Adams. London: Ward Lock, 1980 Hardback: ISBN 9780706238945; Paperback: ISBN 9780706239744.
    • This relatively short book (144 pages) is part of series from Ward Lock Educational Lives, aimed at teenagers, all with similar formats. Almost all the text in this book was originally written by Maxwell, with long extracts from his books, laying out a sequential biography in mostly Maxwell's own words. Some extracts are from Frere. These sections of text are introduced, and then connected by paragraphs, provided by Richard M. Adams.
  • Gavin Maxwell, A Life by Douglas Botting. London: HarperCollins, 1993 ISBN 978-0246130464.
    • Reissued as The Saga of Ring of Bright Water - The Enigma of Gavin Maxwell Glasgow: Neil Wilson Publishing, 2000 ISBN 1-897784-85-6[29].
    • Reissued under the original title: London: Eland, 2017, paperback ISBN 9781780601069; ebook: ISBN 9781780600970.
    • This is a comprehensive biography, running to 568 pages and covers his whole life. Botting was a friend of Maxwell for the twelve years prior to Maxwell's death, and occasionally worked for him. This biography was authorised by the literary executors of Gavin Maxwell's estate, who as Botting noted in the Preface (page xvii), put some limitations on the book's contents, in return for access to Maxwell's papers and business records.
  • Autobiographies by Kathleen Raine. London: Skoob Seriph, 1991. Paperback: ISBN 978-1871438413
    • This is a collection of four previously published memoirs, edited by Lucien Jenkins. While not a conventional autobiography, Raine does cover her friendship with Maxwell in some detail in The Lion's Mouth. London: Hamish Hamilton, 1977.
    • Available for online borrowing (USA edition): The Lion's Mouth at the Internet Archive. New York: Braziller, 1978.
  • Island of Dreams: Stalking Gavin Maxwell's Ghost by Dan Boothby. Self published for Amazon Kindles, 2014.
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