Fr Phillip Caraman, Evelyn Waugh’s ‘dear gentle Jesuit’, was a man with an exceptional talent for friendship.  A major figure in British cultural and literary life for many decades of the 20th century; he was also a priest with a deep spirituality and he was to play a significant role in the lives and spiritual journeys of many of the leading writers of his time.

Passionate about books and travel, he was himself a prolific author, and generous in the encouragement he gave to other authors.  One of his outstanding achievements was the relaunch of The Month, the Jesuit periodical, in 1949.  He made enduring friendships with Evelyn and Laura Waugh, and their extended family, with Graham Greene, Edith Sitwell, Muriel Spark, Alex Guinness and many other significant characters whose own lives are intimately bound into this fascinating life.