Vera Mary Brittain, Testament of Friendship: The Story of Winifred Holtby

Lolly Ockerstrom (Park University)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.08: English Writing and Culture of the early Twentieth Century , 1900-1945.
Vol. editors: Chris Baldick (Goldsmiths College, University of London), Peter Childs (Newman University), Louise McDonald (Newman University)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1940

Places

England (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Non-Fiction
- Memoir

Resources

Testament of Friendship, by Vera Brittain, chronicles the life of writer and activist Winifred Holtby (1898-1935), author of Anderby Wold, The Crowded Street, and, most notably, South Riding. Holtby also wrote the first critical biography of Virginia Woolf. Brittain and Holtby studied together at Somerville College, Oxford, and later shared a flat in London as they began their careers as writers. Holtby died prematurely of Brights Disease in 1935 at the age of 37.

Brittain is known primarily for her testament trilogy, which includes Testament of Youth, about the Great War of 1914-1918; Testament of Experience, which chronicles her life from 1925-1950; and Testament of F…

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2347 words

Citation: Ockerstrom, Lolly. "Testament of Friendship: The Story of Winifred Holtby". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 30 December 2009 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=23725, accessed 25 November 2024.]

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