Who was Rebecca West? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

British Celebrities Born In December

Also Known As: Dame Cicily Isabel Fairfield, Dame Rebecca West

Died At Age: 90

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Henry Maxwell Andrews

father: Charles Fairfield

mother: Isabella

siblings: Letitia, Winifred

children: Anthony West

British Women Women Writers

Died on: March 15, 1983

place of death: London, England

City: London, England

Notable Alumni: George Watson's College

More Facts

education: George Watson's College

awards: 1948 - Women's Press Club Award for Journalism

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Childhood & Early Life

She was born as Cicely Isabel Fairfield in London. Her father, Charles Fairfield was a journalist while her mother Isabella was an accomplished pianist before marriage. She had two sisters.

She grew up in an atmosphere full of intellectual and political discussions, good books and music. However, things changed when her father deserted the family when she was eight years old.

She was educated at George Watson’s Ladies College in Edinburgh, Scotland. But, she had to drop out in 1907 because of tuberculosis and could not receive any further formal education as she lacked the funds.

She was of a rebellious and independent nature and studied theatre at the Academy of Dramatic Art (1910–11) with the initial ambition of becoming an actress. During this time she adopted the name ‘Rebecca West’ from the heroine in Henrik Ibsen’s ‘Rosmersholm’.

She along with her sister Lettie became dedicated campaigners for women’s suffrage and often participated in street protests.

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Career

In 1911, West found employment as a journalist for the feminist weekly ‘The Freewoman’ which was published by three women’s suffrage campaigners, Dora Marsden, Grace Jardine and Mary Gawthorpe.

She wrote an article on free-love for the first edition of the journal ‘The Freewoman’ which created quite a stir. She gained many admirers for her bold language as well as several critics.

She joined the Fabian Society—a socialist debating group—and became very active in the socialist movement. She also became acquainted with George Bernard Shaw during this time.

In 1912, she began working for ‘The Clarion’, a weekly dedicated to socialism and socialistic causes. The journal published 34 of her articles over the next 16 months.

She regularly wrote for a number of newspapers and journals including ‘The Freewoman’ from 1912 to 1916. The feminist publication ‘The Freewoman’ addressed several issues of social inequalities faced by women.

During 1920s, she wrote two novels—‘The Judge’ (1922) which was an existential tale that combined Freudian themes with suffrage and ‘Harriet Hume’ (1929) which was a modernist story about a pianist and her obsessive lover.

She released ‘The Harsh Voice: Four Short Novels’ in 1935 which included the story ‘There is No Conversation’ which was adapted into an hour-long radio drama in 1950 on NBC University Theatre.

She worked as a reporter during the 1940s and 1950s and covered many trials concerning espionage and treason. Instead of just reporting the facts, she tried to understand the psychology behind such activities and what motivated the accused to commit such crimes.

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Major Works

She was an independent minded woman writer known for her sharp wit and fearless journalism and literary criticism. She is credited to be the first woman to have written a novel on World War I and also the first woman reporter in the House of Commons.

Awards & Achievements

She was made a dame commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1959 in recognition of her outstanding contributions to British letters.

Personal Life & Legacy

She had a romantic affair with the writer H.G.Wells in 1913. This relationship lasted for ten years and produced a son. She was also said to have been involved with the actor Charlie Chaplin.

She married a banker, Henry Maxwell Andrews in 1930. Their marriage lasted till Henry’s death in 1968.

She always believed in helping the underprivileged and provided accommodation to a group of Yugoslav refuges during World War II. She had also collaborated with the likes of Emma Goldman and Sybil Thorndyke to establish the Committee to Aid Homeless Spanish Women and Children after the Spanish Civil War.

She led an active lifestyle well into her old age and died at the ripe old age of 90 in 1983.

Trivia

Robert D. Kaplan called her book ‘Black Lamb and Grey Falcon’ "this century's greatest travel book".

A female Canadian rock group headed by Alison Outhit is named after this great activist cum writer.

Rebecca West Biography