TIBOR DÉRY (1894-1977), was born in Budapest into a prosperous family of Jewish descent. In 1919 he joined the Communist Party and served in the ill-fated revolutionary government of Béla Kun, which fell before the end of the year. For most of the next fifteen years, he lived in exile, until his return to Hungary in 1935. Although initially well regarded by the post-war communist government, by 1953 Déry had already been expelled from the party over criticism of its increasingly repressive policies. He later supported the reformist government of Imre Nagy and, following the Soviet suppression of the 1956 revolt, was sentenced to nine years in prison. Writers from all over the world, including Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre, E. M. Forster, Rebecca West and Alberto Moravia, united in his defense and in 1960 he was not only granted amnesty, but was also able to republish and travel relatively freely. Among Déry's most important works are The Settling of Accounts, Monsieur G.A. in X and Dear Father-in-Law.