Maurice Edelman (born in 1911) was a huge supporter of the Coventry Arts Umbrella Club from the mid

50's until his death at 64 in 1975.

I can't tell you his full involvement at this stage but he's mentioned as giving talks on the arts at the Umbrella's first premises in Little Park Street Coventry and sitting on various committees. Certainly by 1974 when the Umbrella moved to the Charterhouse, he was re-elected as president according to the Coventry Evening Telgraph with Terence Watson (editor of Umbrella magazine) as Vice President.

"Elected at the age of 34 as the member for Coventry in the Labour wave that swept Churchill out of as Prime Minister after VE Day, Maurice Edelman served in Parliament until his death 30 years later.", Born in Cardiff, Wales the son of a Jewish

photographer, Mr. Edelman graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge, and was first elected to Parliament in 1945 representing the Coventry West constituency.

Since 1950 he was returned to Parliament in every election for the newly formed Coventry North-West constituency. Mr. Edelman managed to combine his parliamentary career with that of a successful author. He wrote many books, including “Disraeli in Love,” and a biography of David Ben Gurion.

Literary Works by Maurice Edelman

Maurice turned to writing novels which were subsequently popular for Television adaptions and his literary output included -

Disraeli in Love (Novel) / biography of David Ben Gurion. / Prime Minister's Daughter (Armchair Theatre1970 / The Last Flight (Armchair Theatre1957) / A Distant Thunder (A Play for Today 1 episode1970) / The Switch ( ITV Playhouse 1 episode1971) / The Chief Whip Sends his Compliments (Thirty Minute Theatre1970) / The Cabinet Papers (BBC Play of the Month 1967) / The Crossfire (Novel & ITV Play of the Week 1967) / The Minister (Novel & Theatre 6251965) / The Happy Ones (First Night TV Series 1 episode1964) / The Vision and the Dream (About Religion TV series 1 episode1962) / A Dream of Treason (Novel & Playhouse 90 1 episode1960) / Episode in Paris (Theatre Royal 1956). Disraeli Rising (1975? - 2nd part of a proposed trilogy) /

Maurice Edelman 1911-1975. Paintiings, drawings & watercolours 9 July - 4 September 1977 Herbert Art Galleriy and Museums, Coventry [Paperback] / Who Goes Home (Novel) / All on a Summer's Night (Novel 1969) /

He also appeared on What's My Line / Panorama / This Week.

Amazon link to second hand versions of some of his book. HERE

Other works(1961). Stage Play: A Call on Kuprin. Written by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee. Based on the novel by Maurice Edelman. Directed by George Abbott. Broadhurst Theatre: 25 May 1961- 3 Jun 1961 (12 performances). Cast: John Allen (as "Arthur Harrington"), Marie Baratoff (as "Mrs. Kendall"), Lydia Bruce (as "Vera Kuprina"), Dabney Coleman (as "American Couple/Marine Sgt. Loomis/Guard/Second K.G.B. Guard/Guard at Yalta") [Broadway debut], John Garson (as "Col. I.L. Makarov"), Halyna Harcourt (as "Nina/Friend of Jazz Enthusiast/Singing Girl"), John Hirst (as "Russian Sailor"), Claude Horton (as "Holloway"), Lauri Ikonen (as "Chess Boy"), Leon Janney (as "Professor Trifonov"), Rita Karin (as "Head Intourist Clerk/Book Peddler"), Doreen Kay (as "Tourist Couple/Kvas Vendor"), Eugenie Leontovich (as "Madame Kuprina"), Jeffrey Lynne (as "Jonathan Smith"), Victor Merinow (as "Intourist Aide/Soviet Policeman/K.G.B. Interpretor"), Andre Pascal (as "Tourist Couple/Russian Sailor/K.G.B. Guard"), Gedda Petry (as "Woman Porter/Flower Peddler/Singing Girl"), Joe Ponazecki (as "Tourist/Drunk"), Nicholas Saunders (as "Mr. Kendall/Guard at Yalta"), Edmund Shaff (as "Tourist Guide/Friend of Jazz Enthusiast"), William Swetland (as "American Ambassador"), Ludmilla Tchor (as "Assistant Clerk"), Ludmila Toretzka (as "Old Woman/Woman Sweeping/Ted Vadim Tourist") [final Broadway role], Tania Velia (as "American Couple/Jazz Enthusiast/Singing Girl"), George Voskovec (as "Professor V.V. Kuprin"). Produced by Robert E. Griffith and Harold Prince. SOURCE http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1618226/

When Man Denies the Brotherhood of Man

Maurice Edelman - London, England

Broadcast during the 1950s

"I am a politician. Oh yes, I know that sounds like a confession, but when at the end of the War I went into politics, it was because, like many other men in their 30s at the time, I wanted to take an active part in building a society which would be civilized and just. I went into Parliament, and by 1950, I was an experienced legislator sitting on innumerable committees." (To both read the rest of this broadcast and hear it told by Maurice Edelman please visit the website http://thisibelieve.org/essay/16526/

A very interesting talk...

...................................................

A Dream of Treason, by Maurice Edelman

June 2nd, 2012

Cover of UK paperback edition of 'A Dream of Treason'

"Elected at the age of 34 as the member for Coventry in the Labour wave that swept Churchill out of as Prime Minister after VE Day, Maurice Edelman served in Parliament until his death 30 years later. And while he may not have enjoyed the historical fame of Disraeli or the sales of Jeffery Archer, he may be the supreme representative of that exclusive class, the British MP-slash-novelist. Between 1951 and 1974, he published over a dozen novels, along with a handful of non-fiction works.

While I wouldn’t call him a great writer, Edelman was certainly adept at producing novels that managed to be both entertaining and intelligent. His paperback publishers tended to slap racy covers on his books in blatant attempts to convince unsuspecting browsers into thinking them essentially indistinguishable from other shelf fodder. One can picture copies of A Dream of Treason or Shark Island or Disraeli in Love next to the finest works of Erle Stanley Gardner, Mac Bolan or Barbara Cartland. Had he been more of a publicity hound, he might even have been able to boost his numbers into Jeffery Archer’s range."...........

To read the rest of the this interesting review please go to the website http://neglectedbooks.com/?p=1384

Also you can download this novel free or view it online HERE on Universal Library.