Women’s Writing in the British Isles from the Beginnings to the Present
Vera Brittain
-
Standard Name: Brittain, Vera
Birth Name: Vera Mary Brittain
From her university days before the First World War, VB
was determined to be a writer. Her career as a novelist never fulfilled her own expectations; it was not until the publication of Testament of Youth, the first of her volumes combining autobiography with social and cultural history, that she achieved significant success. She also wrote both poetry and pamphlets. Much of her oeuvre is politically engaged, from her feminist journalism and social criticism of the 1920s to her pacifist writings of World War II.
SJ
did not remain solely at Heathfield throughout the war. Like Vera Brittain
, she took rooms in London in Portland Place: while Brittain wote England's Hour (published in 1941 and dedicated to Jameson)...
Textual Features
Storm Jameson
The author discusses her literary and political strategies in a letter to Evelyn Sharp
in the month of publication. I am sending you a book written first against war. I thought that I should more...
Publishing
Storm Jameson
The plans for this publication were set in motion at a dinner party at the Wellington Club, hosted by Viscount Cecil
and organized primarily by Jameson and Philip Noel-Baker
. SJ
also edited the...
Literary responses
Storm Jameson
The appearance of Europe to Let struck a blow at SJ
's in any case faltering friendship with Vera Brittain
. They quarrelled over the character Olga (Johnson) Stehlík in The Hour of Prague...
Literary responses
Storm Jameson
This text delivered a final blow to SJ
's long and close friendship with Vera Brittain
(who had dedicated her political England's Hour to Jameson only that February). Not only did Brittain remain a staunch...
Textual Features
Storm Jameson
Throughout this work SJ
glosses over such events as marriage, divorce, and illness in favour of examining her psychology and behaviour, her struggle to balance motherhood and a public career, the value of creative writing...
Travel
Kathleen E. Innes
The tours were designed to acquaint League of Nations Union speakers with the workings of the League. Social and cultural events and tours of Geneva and environs were also arranged. Vera Brittain
, a LNU...
The pamphlet maintains that those who do not actually engage in the battle are perhaps in a position to make a saner judgment upon it as a whole than those who do.
Innes, Kathleen E. Women and War. Friends’ Peace Committee.
2
Harvey, Kathryn. "Driven by War into Politics": A Feminist Biography of Kathleen Innes. University of Alberta.
Vera Brittain
compiled a posthumous collection of WH
's poetry, published as The Frozen Earth, and Other Poems.
Dowson, Jane, editor. Women’s Poetry of the 1930s: A Critical Anthology. Routledge.
62-3
Textual Production
Winifred Holtby
This political drama, originally titled Hope of Thousands, was completed just months before Holtby's death in 1935, and by 1939 had not reached production. Vera Brittain
arranged to have it published with minor revisions...
Textual Production
Winifred Holtby
Hilda Reid
and Vera Brittain
edited a collection of WH
's short stories, published as Pavements at Anderby.
Berry, Paul, and Mark Bostridge. Vera Brittain: A Life. Chatto and Windus.
332
Textual Production
Winifred Holtby
WH
's anti-Fascist play, Take Back Your Freedom, was posthumously published with an introduction by Vera Brittain
and Tyrone Guthrie
.
British Library Catalogue. http://explore.bl.uk/primo_library/libweb/action/search.do?dscnt=0&tab=local_tab&dstmp=1489778087340&vid=BLVU1&mode=Basic&fromLo.
Education
Winifred Holtby
During both halves of her time at Oxford she dashed around on a very rusty cycle, cramming myriad activities into her schedule: lectures, tea parties, concerts, lacrosse matches, and meetings. I was born with a...
Family and Intimate relationships
Winifred Holtby
During her first year back at Oxford, WH
met Vera Brittain
, who was also returning to complete her degree.
Berry, Paul, and Mark Bostridge. Vera Brittain: A Life. Chatto and Windus.
140
After a difficult beginning (they disliked each other at first sight), they became lifelong...
