Lost Horizon: A Novel

James Hilton was born in Leigh, Lancashire, England on September 9, 1900. While attending the Leys School in Cambridge, he published several stories in the school magazine. In 1918, he won a scholarship to Christ's College, Cambridge, where he joined the University Officer Training Squadron. Before he saw any action, the war ended. He published his first novel, Catherine Herself, in 1920, while still an undergraduate. After Cambridge, he became a freelance journalist, writing chiefly for The Manchester Guardian and later The Irish Independent and reviewing fiction for The Daily Telegraph. During this time, he had several more of his novels published, though without conspicuous success. In 1931, he enjoyed his first popular success with And Now Goodbye and was able to take up writing fiction full time. His other works include Lost Horizon, which won the Hawthornden Prize, Goodbye Mr. Chips, and Random Harvest, all of which were made into highly successful motion pictures. In 1935, he was invited to Hollywood to work as a screenwriter. He wrote screenplays for Camille, Foreign Correspondent, Forever and a Day, The Story of Dr. Wassell, The Tuttles of Tahiti, and We Are Not Alone. He won the Best Screenplay Oscar for Mrs. Miniver in 1942. During his Hollywood years, he continued to write novels including Nothing So Strange, Morning Journey, and Time and Time Again. He also served as the narrator for Madame Curie and the adaptation of his novel So Well Remembered, in addition to hosting CBS Radio's Hallmark Playhouse from 1948 until 1953. He died of liver cancer on December 20, 1954.