Paul Dehn (1912-1976) was an extraordinary man who achieved eminence in three fields. He is perhaps best known for being an Academy-Award winning screenwriter, picking up his Oscar for the 1952 Cold War spy thriller, Seven Days to Noon. Dehn also wrote the scripts for a number of other successful films including Orders to Kill (1958), The Spy who Came in from the Cold (1965), four of the Planet of the Apes franchise (1970-3) and, most famously of all, Goldfinger (1964).

Not only that, but Dehn was also a successful wartime spy in Britain’s secret services, who worked alongside the traitor, Kim Philby, in training many agents in England and America in the art of propaganda.

Finally, Paul Dehn was a well-regarded poet and, with the recent publication of a new Collected Poems (Waterloo Press, 2021), the time is also right to consider him as one of the most important of the generation of poets who followed W.H. Auden. Copies will be available to buy on the night.

Featuring film clips interspersed with readings of his poems (given by the actress Gemma Redgrave) and an expert round-table discussion on all aspects of Dehn’s life, this promises to be an enjoyable and entertaining evening. There will be opportunities for questions and answers at the end of the scheduled programme.

Guest Speakers:

• Jehane Markham – Poet, writer, and niece of Paul Dehn
• Dr. John Howlett – Editor of the Collected Poems of Paul Dehn
• Professor David Stafford – Intelligence Historian
• Adam Feinstein – Author and Film Historian
• Dr. Simon Jenner – Director of Waterloo Press

Doors open at 18.30, for a 19.30 start.

Refreshments will be available in our licensed cafe/bar.

TICKETS & PRICING

Tickets £5.

Advance tickets may be purchased from Ticketlab.