Utterly Immoral

Utterly Immoral

Slated by critics, dubbed ‘utterly immoral’ by F Scott Fitzgerald and mocked in The Great Gatsby, Robert Keable’s novel Simon Called Peter became a worldwide bestseller...

Welcome to Simon Keable-Elliott's website about Robert Keable

In 2023 Simon published his first book Utterly Immoral, Robert Keable and his scandalous novel, the first full biography of Robert Keable. Since then Simon has delivered over 100 talks and lectures about Robert Keable, the South African Native Labour Corps and Tahiti. This website gives details of his talks and Simon also blogs about subjects associated with the life of his grandfather and more. In 2026 he will be publishing his next book, on 1920s Tahiti, and more details will follow soon.

Simon Keable-Elliott

Simon Keable-Elliott

Speaker and writer

We all enjoyed your fascinating and brilliantly delivered talk on Thursday and by all accounts you were deemed the best speaker we've booked in a long time! Committee Member, Ealing U3A

Thank you so much for your presentation about your grandfather. I could see everyone enjoyed the talk. It was interestingly illustrated, giving us a very full picture of Robert Keable's packed life. You have obviously done so much research and it really paid off! Committee Member, Merton U3A 

Thank you very much for your fabulous talk this morning. I thought it was great!! So interesting…  One member afterwards told me that you were the best U3A speaker that she had heard this year!! President, Christchurch Central U3A, New Zealand

Educated at Sherborne School and Durham University, Simon first worked managing restaurants before re-training as a teacher and spending 25 years as Head of Politics and Director of MUN at a secondary school in Croydon. He now spends his time writing, researching and giving talks about Robert Keable, Tahiti and the SANLC. He has written articles for The Journal of the Society for Army Historical ResearchThe Church Times, The History News Network, Genealogy Today, The Beresford Family Society Magazine,and The Magdalene College Magazine. He is an accredited lecturer for the Arts Society and also a regular speaker at events run by Western Front Associations, U3As and Family History Societies. 

Description of my talk on Robert Keable

Description of my talks on Tahiti

Simon is Robert Keable’s grandson and Utterly Immoral is his first book.

 

 

Utterly Immoral reviews

Robert Keable in his 1919 book about the Great War, Standing By: Wartime Reflections in France
and Flanders
, wrote of his hopes for the chaplains after the war. ”It is inconceivable that they will not
make an upheaval; if they do not it will be one of the central disappointments of my life.”
Many of the chaplains did make significant contributions to the post war church and society, but
perhaps one who was most famous, possibly notorious, was Keable himself, whose post war life …

Written by his grandson, and meticulously researched, this biography of largely forgotten author Robert Keable is a wonderfully enlightening and absorbing account of an unconventional and unusual man and writer. His most notorious and controversial novel Simon Called Peter (also definitely worth reading) became a huge international best-seller and a real succès de scandale. Simon Keable-Elliot has done a stellar job in recounting his grandfather’s life and also provides intelligent…

My favorite thing about this thoroughly researched book was its title; I'd never heard of its subject before, author Simon Keable-Elliott's grandfather Robert Keable and his most famous book, Simon Called Peter. Simon Called Peter was about an English military chaplain's struggles with his religion, work, marriage, and maintaining loyalty to any of them. Its reputation due to bits of unprecedented naughtiness earned it plenty of acclaim and attention, but serious reviewers pointed o…

Fascinating book - shedding light on the way in which war can change people

Dr Linda Parker (http://www.linda-parker.co.uk/)

I heartily recommend this well-written and engaging book.

Mandy J, Reviewer for NetGalley

Thoroughly researched book

Emi Y NetGalley Reviewer

Events

14

Tue
Jul

Haddenham U3A

Haddenham Village Hall, Banks Park, Banks Rd, Haddenham HP17 8EE

13

Mon
Jul

South West London Arts Society

The Community Church, Werter Road, Putney, SW15 2LL

15

Wed
Apr

Harpenden Arts Society

Eric Morecambe Centre, Rothamsted Park Trail, Harpenden AL5 2FR

05

Tue
May

Richmond-upon-Thames Arts Society

Duke Street Church Duke Street Richmond United Kingdom TW9 1DH