The
Bright Young Things, or
Bright Young People, was a nickname given by the
tabloid press to a group of
bohemian young aristocrats and socialites in 1920s
London. They threw elaborate
fancy dress parties, went on elaborate treasure hunts through nighttime London, drank heavily and used drugs—all of which was enthusiastically covered by journalists such as
Tom Driberg. They inspired a number of writers, including
Nancy Mitford (
Highland Fling),
Anthony Powell (
A Dance to the Music of Time),
Henry Green (
Party Going) and the poet
John Betjeman (
A Subaltern's Love Song).
Evelyn Waugh's 1930 novel
Vile Bodies, adapted as the 2003 film
Bright Young Things, is a satirical look at this scene.
Cecil Beaton began his career in photography by documenting this set, of which he was a member.