3 - ‘You Are Very Famous, Maynard’

Summary

Publication of the Economic Consequences made Keynes an internationally famous figure. Its analysis was embraced by the liberal left in Britain, scorned by the nationalist right in France, more ambiguously received in the United States. But his fame was now undeniable – and immediately recognised by the Russian ballerina Lydia Lopokova with whom Keynes now began an affair that was to lead to their marriage. In particular this chapter uses Lydia’s letters as a lens through which we can see the impact of Keynes’s crucial venture into journalism. For he was now commissioned by the Manchester Guardian, Britain’s most eminent liberal newspaper, in a double role. Thus he covered the international Genoa conference for the paper in 1922, giving him insight on Lloyd George’s new role as a ‘revisionist’ intent on conciliating Europe. And Keynes also edited a series of special supplements for the paper that sought to propagate a more wide-ranging analysis of the problems facing reconstruction in Europe. The fact that these were now written in a more accessible form, with Lydia’s encouragement, was thus a crucial step for Keynes in propagating his ideas for a wider readership.