Poet and biographer. Born at Scarborough into the aristocracy. 6-foot tall, with elongated features she added to the effect with her exuberant flowing and ornate clothing. Her poetry was avant garde and concerned with musicality. Her performance of Façade in 1923 has been described as early white rap or like a "happening" from the 60s, and attracted the same response - bemusement. Noel Coward's review caused her to refuse to speak to him for 40 years. But she gradually gained respect and, when she and her brother Osbert toured America they were a great success, especially with the stars in Hollywood. She was early to promote the work of Dylan Thomas. In WW2 she contributed to the war effort by knitting clothes for friends in the forces, including Alec Guinness.
Died, unmarried at St Thomas's Hospital. Her nephew, Francis, was her literary executor.
There is a wonderful 1943 portrait of her by Wyndham Lewis.
This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Dame Edith Sitwell
Commemorated ati
Edith Sitwell
English Heritage Dame Edith Sitwell, 1887 - 1964, poet lived here in Flat 42.
Virtues - Sixth Sense
Edith Sitwell reads a book while blithely crossing a chasm on a bridge made o...
Other Subjects
William Hazlitt
Essayist. Initially wanted to be a philosopher, then tried painting and then journalism, where he was a success: as a drama reviewer, art critic, political commentator and creating sports writing ...
Thomas Carlyle (author)
Historian, essayist and co-founder of the National Portrait Gallery. Born in Ecclefechan, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. Portrayed, second from right, in the 1860 Ford Madox Brown painting 'Work'...
John Buchan
Author and Governor-General of Canada. Born at Perth, Scotland. He entered the diplomatic service, becoming private secretary to the High Commissioner for Southern Africa. Created Baron Tweedsmuir ...
Person, Literature, Politics & Administration, Canada, Scotland, South Africa
James Hadley Chase
Thriller writer. Born at the site of the plaque as René Lodge Brabazon Raymond. Under various pseudonyms, he wrote ninety novels, fifty of which were made into films. Died in Corseaux-sur-Vevey, Sw...
Roy Porter
Historian. Born Roy Sydney Porter at Foxholes, Hitchin, Hertfordshire. Published his first book 'The Making of Geology in Britain' in 1977. He was a lecturer at Cambridge and the Wellcome Institute...
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