He was well educated and won a scholarship to Trinity College, Dublin, however, he decided to travel to England in 1947 at the age of 16, with just £2 and a letter of introduction from the editor of The Irish Times.
After being fired by Max Reinhardt (publisher) he received £1,000 compensation and a job offer from Sidney Bernstein, of ITV Granada – who then had second thoughts.
[6] Elliot was key to the creation of a list of hugely successful blockbuster novelists such as[7] Candida Lycett Green, Penny Vincenzi,[2] and Lynda Lee-Potter.
[citation needed] Desmond Elliott lived his life with verve,[4] drinking only champagne, and treating Fortnum & Mason as his local "cornershop"[8] He only ever crossed the Atlantic on Concorde.
[11] Elliott told novelist Sam Llewellyn his ideal novel was a "cross between a treasure hunt and a race"[12] and the winning novel must therefore exhibit depth and breadth with a compelling narrative.