Winifred Holtby

Winifred Holtby was born on the 23rd June 1898 to a prosperous farming family in the village of Rudston in Yorkshire. 

A governess provided her early education before she went to Queen Margaret's School in Scarborough. After passing the entrance exam for Somerville College, Oxford in 1917, she decided to join the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps in early 1918. However, soon after her arrival in France, the War ended.

She returned to study at Oxford and met fellow student Vera Britain. After graduating from Oxford, in 1921, Winifred and Vera moved to London, hoping to establish themselves as authors.

Her early novels met with only moderate success but as a journalist she was both prolific and increasingly well-known. Her articles graced more than 20 newspapers and magazines, including the Manchester Guardian newspaper. 

Winifred was a committed feminist, socialist and pacifist. She gave many lectures for the League of Nations Union. She was also active in the Independent Labour Party and was a campaigner for the unionisation of black workers in South Africa.

In 1931 the symptoms of high blood pressure, recurrent headaches and bouts of lassitude brought forth a diagnosis of Bright's disease. She was given two years to live and now put all her efforts into what was to become her crowning achievement: South Riding. Released posthumously it received lavish praise and enormous sales. Her canon of works tackle difficult subjects head on, many in unusual ways, brimming with verve and usually strong female protagonists.

Winifred Holtby died on 29th September 1935 in London. She was 37.

Horse's Mouth

The Crowded Street: 'What did it matter? What did anything matter?''

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