SOURCE: Powell, Anthony. “The London Charivari.” In To Keep the Ball Rolling: The Memoirs of Anthony Powell, Vol. IV, pp. 47-65. London: Heinemann, 1982.

In the following excerpt, Powell describes Muggeridge's contentious tenure as editor of the English humor magazine Punch.

Not long after moving to the country I lunched at the Authors' Club with Malcolm Muggeridge …, then Deputy Editor of The Daily Telegraph. The job seemed to suit him pretty well, his heart being in ‘news’ journalism, while the particular gradation of rank—so to speak third in command—represented a reasonably powerful sphere of influence not oppressively incommoded by too much responsibility.

During the course of luncheon Muggeridge told me that he had been offered the editorship of Punch. Foreseeing amusing possibilities he had decided to accept, notwithstanding the satisfactory nature of his position at the DT and its good prospects. He suggested that I might follow...