The Small Back Room

work by Balchin

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Last updated

July 13, 2026

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"The Small Back Room" is a novel by Nigel Balchin, published in 1943. It gained significant popularity for its depiction of the "backroom boys" – scientists and researchers working behind the scenes during World War II. The novel explores their conversations, behaviors, and the power struggles that occurred within their ranks. Balchin, who had experience as an industrial psychologist and served as deputy scientific adviser to the Army Council during the war, drew upon his real-life experiences to create the novel's authentic portrayal of these individuals and their environment.1

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Nigel Balchin
In The Small Back Room (1943), his best-known novel, Balchin describes the conversation, behaviour, and intrigues for position and power of the “backroom boys” with whom he worked during the war. Almost as successful is Mine Own Executioner (1945), a study of a psychiatrist unable to…
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In The Small Back Room (1943), his best-known novel, Balchin describes the conversation, behaviour, and intrigues for position and power of the “backroom boys” with whom he worked during the war. Almost as successful is Mine Own Executioner (1945), a study of a psychiatrist unable to…
Read More