January 1964

January 1964 is the month in which T. H. White died far from home, and the turning point after which his friends began considering how his private life would be represented. His death, from heart failure in a cabin aboard the SS Exeter in Greece, left them concerned about his reputation and about material in his journals relating to his sexuality.

Death Away from Home

White died in January 1964 while aboard the SS Exeter in Greece. The account emphasizes the distance from home and the cabin as the setting of his death; it gives no more precise date.

The Posthumous Record

After White’s death, his friends sought a suitable biographer and chose Sylvia Townsend Warner. She had corresponded with White and he had liked her books; the friends also considered her gay identity a reason she might approach his character sympathetically. Their choice arose from the problem of how to handle the sexuality-related matters in his journals with care.