W. N. P. Barbellion was the pseudonym of Bruce Frederick Cummings (1889-1919). He selected W. N. P. as the initials of three of 'the most wretched figures in history': Kaiser Wilhelm, Emperor Nero and Pontius Pilate. Barbellion was the name of his favourite pastry-shop on Gloucester Road. Cummings was a keen naturalist who worked in the Entomology Department of London's Natural History Museum. Upon attempting to enlist in the British Army during World War I, he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The discovery of his disease intensified the tenor of his journal-keeping, and his frank and articulate reflections on coping with a fatal disease remain a powerful testament to his life and struggles.
