July 24, 1911

Derek Verschoyle ( July 24, 1911 to December 16, 1973) was an ornament of 20th century British literary history. In his tenure as literary editor at The Spectator (1932-1939) he published, for example, Evelyn Waugh, who, then portrayed Verschoyle in Decline and Fall.

Diana Athill writes that

"Derek Verschoyle was a raffish figure, vaguely well-connected and vaguely literary, about whom I had first heard from my father who had encountered him as an agreeably picturesque feature of The Spectator. Verschoyle was its literary editor for a while. His room looked out over the mews behind that periodical's offices in Gower Street, and he, lolling with his feet up on his desk, used to take pot shots at the local cats out of his window with a .22 which he kept on the desk for the purpose. "

Anne Scott-James was the first of Verschoyle's many wives. He probably also worked for M-16 after the war. And married, and edited.