Quentin Crisp (1908-1999) [born Denis Charles Pratt] was an English raconteur, whose work in the public eye included a memoir of his life and various media appearances. Before becoming well known, he was an artist’s model, hence the title of his most famous work, ‘The Naked Civil Servant’.
He afterwards became a gay icon due to his flamboyant personality, fashion sense, wit and repartee.
He attempted to join the British Army at the start of World War Two but was but was rejected and declared exempt by the medical board on the grounds that he was “suffering from sexual perversion”.
Quentin had a varied and most interesting life – including rent boy, artist’s model, engineer’s tracer, performer, tutor, writer. His most famous work ‘The Naked Civil Servant’ was televised in 1975 making actor John Hurt and Quentin stars and launched Quentin’s nationwide journey with his one-man show.
Sting dedicated his song ‘An Englishman in New York’ to Crisp, it includes the lines
“It takes a man to suffer ignorance and smile,
Be yourself no matter what they say”.
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