A distinguished novelist and playwright in her own right, Diana Marr-Johnson was the niece of W. Somerset Maugham, and her brother, Robin Maugham was the outspoken peer best known for his novel ‘The Servant’. Unlike her brother, she deliberately chose not to write under the family name and many who read her novels were unaware of her literary pedigree.
Her writing combined wit and simplicity with an unusual depth of psychological understanding. A generous host throughout her life and a born raconteur, she numbered among her many friends such writers as Rebecca West, Brigid Brophy and Muriel Spark.
She died on June 14, 2007, aged 98.