Mary Stella Edwards and “The Immortal Hour”

Mary Stella Edwards and “The Immortal Hour”

To me, Mary Stella Edwards’ first book of poetry is haunted by fairies and nature spirits. They aren’t obvious – so perhaps other readers might disagree. She never actually uses the word “fairy” – but they are implied in a kind of world-building that feels closely...
Getting to know Judith Ackland – Part 2

Getting to know Judith Ackland – Part 2

In the previous blogpost – I described Judith’s sudden departure from Bideford to the Pyrenees. She travelled alone (and abroad for the first time) to attend to Mildred, a childhood friend believed to be on the verge of death. Here we learn how Judith’s...
Getting to know Judith Ackland – Part 1

Getting to know Judith Ackland – Part 1

Up till now Judith Ackland has been a rather shadowy figure in my research. I had only read her thoughts in her own words in a letter to Rupert Graves (see Finding Judith). Although heartfelt, that was a very formal letter. Otherwise, all the information has come from...
Mary Stella Edwards and Judith Ackland: a love story

Mary Stella Edwards and Judith Ackland: a love story

Early in my PhD research I wondered who might play Mary Stella Edwards and Judith Ackland in a film about their lives. After much thought and debate with the archive volunteers, we came up with Haydn Gwynne to play Judith and Helen McCrory to play Mary Stella. The...
Mary Stella Edwards’ School Days: tedium before fun

Mary Stella Edwards’ School Days: tedium before fun

What can Mary Stella Edwards’ early childhood and school days tell us about her hyphenated career as poet, artist, and commercial artist? Mary Stella on holiday in Swanage, 1904: “Here a man gave me a sunshade, and I was photographed on the terrace carrying it.”...