TREVOR, WILLIAM

born May 24, 1928, Mitchelstown, County Cork, Ire. original name William Trevor Cox Irish writer who is noted for his wry and often macabre short stories and novels, especially for the novel The Old Boys (1964), the story of an old boys committee, whose rapidly aging members plot and plan against each other, driven by searing memories of the insults and rivalries of their school days. Trevor was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, and began his career as a teacher and sculptor. He taught both history and art at various schools in Northern Ireland and England, and then in 1960 he moved to London and worked as an advertising copywriter. It was at this time (196065) that Trevor began to publish his novels and short stories. Eventually he decided to move to Devon, England, and write full time. His novels after The Old Boys include The Boarding-House (1965), Mrs. Eckdorf in O'Neill's Hotel (1969), Elizabeth Alone (1973), The Children of Dynmouth (1976), Other People's Worlds (1980), Fools of Fortune (1983), and The Silence in the Garden (1988). He also wrote several highly acclaimed collections of short stories. The comprehensive collection Stories of William Trevor appeared in 1983. Influenced by the writings of James Joyce and Charles Dickens, Trevor possessed a keen skill for characterization and irony. His works for the most part focus on the psychology of eccentrics and outcasts.