As the author of the modern classic A Clockwork Orange and a famously outspoken cultural pundit , he is one of the greatest names of post-war British literature . Yet Anthony Burgess has been refused a commemorative blue plaque by English Heritage because , it claims , his significance and profile are 'not strong enough ' for recognition . Now the snub has been criticised by leading figures in the literary world , who insist that the author is one of the greatest writers of the 20th Century . Leading literary figures described Anthony Burgess ( pictured ) being snubbed for a blue plaque as 'pathetic ' Malcolm McDowell starred at the lead character Alex ( pictured ) in Stanley Kubrick 's controversial adaptation of A Clockwork Orange . Last night Burgess 's biographer Roger Lewis called the decision 'pretty pathetic ' . And bestselling author David Lodge , who was a friend of Burgess , said : 'Anthony was a remarkable man . He was a polymath who was extraordinarily gifted in many areas . ' Burgess was nominated for a blue plaque – which are erected on buildings to recognise where famous people lived and worked – by staff at the International Anthony Burgess Foundation in Manchester . They wanted it placed on a property in Glebe Street , Chiswick , West London , where the author lived between 1963 and 1968 . They were confident of success as Burgess met all the criteria for the scheme – which is funded by public donations – including the stipulation that candidates must be well known and must have been dead for at least 20 years . Burgess wrote 33 novels but is best known for his 1962 dystopian work A Clockwork Orange . But on December 2 last year , English Heritage wrote to confirm the author had not been shortlisted , adding : 'The [ blue plaques ] panel noted his many achievements but… they felt his overall significance and profile were not yet strong enough to make a case for a blue plaque . ' Documents obtained by this newspaper under freedom of information laws show the panel made its decision at a meeting on October 29 . The minutes state : 'The panel agreed that Anthony Burgess was a prolific and energetic writer , but that it was too soon after his death to evaluate the merits of shortlisting . ' However , members did agree that his name could be submitted for consideration again in five years rather than the usual ten . Burgess , who died in 1993 , wrote 33 novels but is best known for his 1962 dystopian work A Clockwork Orange , which was turned into a controversial film by director Stanley Kubrick , with Malcolm McDowell in the leading role . Professor Andrew Biswell , who is based at the Anthony Burgess Foundation , said he hoped the panel would reconsider in light of activities planned for 2017 to mark the centenary of Burgess 's birth . English Heritage confirmed a proposal to commemorate the author had been considered last October . 'The panel agreed that it was too soon after his death to arrive at a definitive assessment of his lasting reputation , ' a spokesman added .
English Heritage blasted for refusal to grant Anthony A Clockwork Orange blue plaque . Leading literary figures described the organisation 's decision as 'pathetic ' A Clockwork Orange wrote the modern classic Burgess and 32 other books . The novel was made into a controversial film by director Stanley Kubrick .