Angry Young Men

Journalistic term applied to a loose group of British writers who emerged in the 1950s after the creative hiatus that followed World War II. They revolted against the prevailing social mores, class distinction, and ‘good taste’. Their dissatisfaction was expressed in works such as Kingsley Amis's Lucky Jim (1954), John Osborne'sLook Back in Anger (1956), Colin Wilson's The Outsider (1956), John Braine's Room at the Top (1957), and John Wain's Hurry on Down (1953).

Also linked to the group was theatre critic Kenneth Tynan.