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Barbara Mary Crampton Pym FRSL (2 June 1913 – 11 January 1980) was an English novelist. In the 1950s she published a series of social comedies, of which the best known are ''
Excellent Women
''Excellent Women'' is a novel by Barbara Pym, first published in 1952, her second published novel and generally acclaimed as the funniest and most successful of her comedies of manners.
Title
The phrase "excellent women" is used by men in re ...
'' (1952) and ''
A Glass of Blessings'' (1958). In 1977 her career was revived when the critic
Lord David Cecil
Lord Edward Christian David Gascoyne-Cecil, CH (9 April 1902 – 1 January 1986) was a British biographer, historian, and scholar. He held the style of "Lord" by courtesy, as a younger son of a marquess.
Early life and studies
David Cecil was ...
and the poet
Philip Larkin
Philip Arthur Larkin (9 August 1922 – 2 December 1985) was an English poet, novelist, and librarian. His first book of poetry, '' The North Ship'', was published in 1945, followed by two novels, '' Jill'' (1946) and '' A Girl in Winter'' (1 ...
both nominated her as the most under-rated writer of the century. Her novel ''
Quartet in Autumn
''Quartet in Autumn'' is a novel by British novelist Barbara Pym, first published in 1977. It was highly praised and shortlisted for the Booker Prize, the top literary prize in the UK. This was considered a comeback novel for Pym; she had fall ...
'' (1977) was nominated for the
Booker Prize
The Booker Prize, formerly known as the Booker Prize for Fiction (1969–2001) and the Man Booker Prize (2002–2019), is a Literary award, literary prize awarded each year for the best novel written in English and published in the United King ...
that year, and she was elected as a Fellow of the
Royal Society of Literature
The Royal Society of Literature (RSL) is a learned society founded in 1820, by George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV, to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". A charity that represents the voice of literature in the UK, th ...
.
Biography
Early life
Barbara Mary Crampton Pym was born on 2 June 1913 at 72 Willow Street
in
Oswestry
Oswestry ( ; ) is a market town, civil parish and historic railway town in Shropshire, England, close to the Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5, A483 and A495 roads.
The town was the administrative headquarters of the Borough of ...
, Shropshire, the elder daughter of Irena Spenser, ''née'' Thomas (1886–1945) and Frederic Crampton Pym (1879–1966), a solicitor. She was educated at Queen's Park School, a girls' school in Oswestry. From the age of 12, she attended
Huyton College
Huyton College was an independent day and boarding school for girls founded in England in 1894 as the sister school to Liverpool College with which it merged on 27 July 1993, a few months short of its 100th birthday. The Liverpool College for Girls ...
, near
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
. Pym's parents were active in the local Oswestry operatic society, and she was encouraged to write and be creative from a young age. She spent most of her childhood at Morda Lodge in Morda Road, Oswestry, where in 1922 she staged her first play, ''The Magic Diamond'', performed by family and friends.
[
In 1931, she went to ]St Hilda's College, Oxford
St Hilda's College is one of the Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. The college is named after the Anglo-Saxon Saint, Hilda of Whitby and was founded in 1893 as a hall for women; it ...
, to study English. While at Oxford, she developed a close friendship with the future novelist and literary critic Robert Liddell
(John) Robert Liddell (13 October 1908 – 23 July 1992) was an English literary critic, biographer, novelist, travel writer and poet.
Life
Liddell was born at Tunbridge Wells, England, the elder son of Major John Stewart Liddell, CMG, DSO, w ...
who would read her early works and provide key feedback In the 1930s, she travelled to Germany on several occasions, developing a love for the country as well as a romantic relationship with a young Nazi officer, Friedbert Gluck. Although she initially admired Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor in 1933 and then ...
and did not foresee the advent of war, she later recognised her "blind spot", and removed a character based on Gluck from the novel she was in the process of writing.
In early 1939, Pym approached Jonathan Cape
Jonathan Cape is a London publishing firm founded in 1921 by Herbert Jonathan Cape, who was head of the firm until his death in 1960.
Cape and his business partner Wren Howard set up the publishing house in 1921. They established a reputation ...
about a job in publishing; none was available at the time. The outbreak of World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
changed her plans, and in 1941 she went to work for the Censorship Department in Bristol, later joining the Women's Royal Naval Service
The Women's Royal Naval Service (WRNS; popularly and officially known as the Wrens) was the women's branch of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy. First formed in 1917 for the First World War, it was disbanded in 1919, then revived in 1939 at the ...
. From 1943, she served in naval postal censorship
Postal censorship is the inspection or examination of mail, most often by governments. It can include opening, reading and total or selective obliteration of letters and their contents, as well as covers, postcards, parcels and other postal pa ...
, eventually being posted to Naples
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
.
Personal life
In June 1946, Pym started work at the International African Institute
The International African Institute (IAI) was founded (as the International Institute of African Languages and Cultures - IIALC) in 1926 in London for the study of African languages. Frederick Lugard was the first chairman (1926 to his death in 194 ...
in London. She was the assistant editor for the scholarly journal ''Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
'', where she would work until her retirement in 1974. That inspired her use of anthropologists
An anthropologist is a person engaged in the practice of anthropology. Anthropology is the study of aspects of humans within past and present societies. Social anthropology, cultural anthropology and philosophical anthropology study the norms and v ...
as characters in some of her novels, notably ''Excellent Women'', ''Less than Angels'', and ''An Unsuitable Attachment''. Pym's sister Hilary separated from her husband in 1946, and the two sisters moved in together in a flat in Pimlico
Pimlico () is an area of Central London in the City of Westminster, built as a southern extension to neighbouring Belgravia. It is known for its garden squares and distinctive Regency architecture. Pimlico is demarcated to the north by London V ...
. They would later move to a house in Queen's Park.
Pym never married or had children, despite several close relationships with men. In her undergraduate days, they included Henry Harvey (a fellow Oxford student, who remained the love of her life), Rupert Gleadow Rupert Seeley Gleadow (22 January 1909 – 30 October 1974) was a British lawyer and author, who wrote on legal matters under the name of Justin Case. He also wrote extensively on astrology.
Gleadow was born in Leicester, the son of Frank and Mar ...
, and the future politician Julian Amery
Harold Julian Amery, Baron Amery of Lustleigh, (27 March 1919 – 3 September 1996) was a British Conservative Party politician, who served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for 39 of the 42 years between 1950 and 1992. He was appointed to the Pr ...
. In 1942 she had a brief relationship with the BBC radio producer Gordon Glover
Claud Gordon Glover (7 June 1908 – 1 March 1975) was a British writer, particularly for radio, as well as some novels.
Early life
Glover was born in Edinburgh in 1908, the son of William Gordon Glover (1879-1945), an engineer, and his wife Fl ...
, who was the estranged husband of her friend Honor Wyatt
Honor Ellen Wyatt (6 February 1910 – 23 October 1998) was an English journalist and radio presenter, known for her association with Barbara Pym, Robert Graves and Laura Riding as well as for her own work. She was the mother of the actor Jul ...
. Glover broke this off abruptly, which traumatised Pym, and, when Glover died in 1975, she burnt her diary for 1942.
Early literary career
Pym wrote her first novel, ''Some Tame Gazelle
''Some Tame Gazelle'' is Barbara Pym's first novel, originally published in 1950.
The title of the book is taken from the poem "Something to Love" by Thomas Haynes Bayly, and the work of other English poets is frequently referenced during the cou ...
'', in 1935, but it was rejected by numerous publishers including Jonathan Cape
Jonathan Cape is a London publishing firm founded in 1921 by Herbert Jonathan Cape, who was head of the firm until his death in 1960.
Cape and his business partner Wren Howard set up the publishing house in 1921. They established a reputation ...
and Gollancz. She wrote another novel, ''Civil to Strangers'' in 1936 and several novellas in the following years, which were collectively published as ''Civil to Strangers
''Civil to Strangers and Other Writings'' is a collection of novels and short stories by Barbara Pym, published posthumously.
Publication history
When Pym died in 1980, she had published 9 novels and a small number of short stories. After Pym' ...
'' after Pym's death. In 1940, Pym wrote the novel '' Crampton Hodnet'', which would also be published after her death.
After some years of submitting stories to women's magazines, Pym heavily revised ''Some Tame Gazelle'' which this time was accepted by Jonathan Cape for publication in 1950.[Christopher_Fowler](_blank)
,_"Invisible_Ink:_No._68".html" ;"title="Christopher Fowler">Christopher Fowler
, "Invisible Ink: No. 68"">Christopher Fowler">Christopher Fowler
, "Invisible Ink: No. 68" ''The Independent'', 13 March 2011, accessed 30 September 2011 The poet Philip Larkin
Philip Arthur Larkin (9 August 1922 – 2 December 1985) was an English poet, novelist, and librarian. His first book of poetry, '' The North Ship'', was published in 1945, followed by two novels, '' Jill'' (1946) and '' A Girl in Winter'' (1 ...
regarded ''Some Tame Gazelle'' as Pym's ''Pride and Prejudice''. The novel follows the lives of two middle-aged spinster sisters in an English village before the War, who are both given the possibility of love. That year, Pym also had a radio play – ''Something to Remember'' – accepted by the BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
.
Pym's second novel, ''
Excellent Women
''Excellent Women'' is a novel by Barbara Pym, first published in 1952, her second published novel and generally acclaimed as the funniest and most successful of her comedies of manners.
Title
The phrase "excellent women" is used by men in re ...
'' (1952) was well received, although her third, ''
Jane and Prudence'' (1953) received more mixed reviews. Her fourth novel, ''
Less than Angels'' (1955) had poorer sales than the previous three, but it attracted enough attention to be Pym's debut novel in
the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. A representative from
Twentieth Century Fox
20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film studio, film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm o ...
came to England with an interest in securing the film rights, but this ultimately fell through.
Pym's fifth novel, ''
A Glass of Blessings'' (1958) was poorly reviewed, with Pym noting that – of her first six novels – it was the worst reviewed. However the inclusion of sympathetic
homosexual
Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to peop ...
characters, in an era when homosexuality was largely frowned upon, attracted some interest in contemporary reviews, including ''
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was fo ...
''. Pym's sixth novel was ''
No Fond Return of Love'' (1961), in which two female academic research assistants fall in love with the same man. All of Pym's books up to this point had featured either the
Anglican church
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of the ...
community or anthropologists; ''No Fond Return of Love'' combines the two. The book continued the trend of Pym's novels receiving minimal critical attention. Nonetheless, it was positively reviewed in ''
Tatler
''Tatler'' is a British magazine published by Condé Nast Publications focusing on fashion and lifestyle, as well as coverage of high society and politics. It is targeted towards the British upper-middle class and upper class, and those interes ...
'', with the reviewer commenting:
"Wilderness years"
In 1963, Pym submitted her seventh novel – ''
An Unsuitable Attachment'' – to Cape. Editor
Tom Maschler
Thomas Michael Maschler (16 August 193315 October 2020) was a British publisher and writer. He was noted for instituting the Booker Prize for British, Irish and Commonwealth literature in 1969. He was involved in publishing the works of many not ...
, who had recently joined the firm, rejected the manuscript, on the advice of two readers. Pym wrote back to protest that she was being unfairly treated, but was told (sympathetically but firmly) that the novel did not show promise. Pym revised the manuscript and sent it to several other publishers, but with no success. Pym was advised that her style of writing was old-fashioned, and that the public were no longer interested in books about small-town spinsters and vicars. She was forced to consider finding a new authorial voice, but ultimately felt that she was too old to change to adapt to what publishers considered popular taste. Pym was told that the minimum 'economic figure' for book sales was 4,000 copies, whereas several of her books from the 1950s had not achieved that number.
As a result, Pym did not publish anything from 1962 until 1977. Regardless, she continued writing novels and short stories, and refining existing works, while she continued her professional career at the International African Institute. Pym never fully forgave Cape, or Tom Maschler. She and her sister invented a dessert called "Maschler pudding", which was a combination of
lime
Lime commonly refers to:
* Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit
* Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide
* Lime (color), a color between yellow and green
Lime may also refer to:
Botany ...
jelly and milk. In 1965, she wrote in a letter, "I really still wonder if my books will ''ever'' be acceptable again". Pym wrote ''
The Sweet Dove Died'' in 1968 and ''
An Academic Question'' in 1970. She submitted ''Dove'' to several publishers but it was again rejected. However her earlier novels were reprinted during this era due to popular demand among local libraries. Pym wrote 27 short stories, of which only 6 were published during her lifetime. The remainder are stored in the Pym archives at the
Bodleian Library
The Bodleian Library () is the main research library of the University of Oxford, and is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. It derives its name from its founder, Sir Thomas Bodley. With over 13 million printed items, it is the second- ...
.
In 1961, Pym began a letter-writing correspondence with Philip Larkin, as he was preparing to write a review article of one of her novels. They continued a constant series of letters for 19 years, right up until her death. They met for the first time in April 1975, at the
Randolph Hotel, Oxford
The Randolph Hotel ("The Randolph") is a 5 star hotel in the heart of Oxford, England. It is on the south side of Beaumont Street, at the corner with Magdalen Street, opposite the Ashmolean Museum and close to the Oxford Playhouse. The hotel ...
.
In 1971, Pym was diagnosed with
breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or a re ...
and underwent a
mastectomy
Mastectomy is the medical term for the surgical removal of one or both breasts, partially or completely. A mastectomy is usually carried out to treat breast cancer. In some cases, women believed to be at high risk of breast cancer have the operat ...
on her left breast. The operation was successful and she was deemed clear of cancer. In 1972, Pym and her sister Hilary purchased Barn Cottage at
Finstock
Finstock is a village and civil parish about south of Charlbury in Oxfordshire, England.
The parish is bounded to the northeast by the River Evenlode, to the southeast partly by the course of Akeman Street Roman road, and on other sides by ...
in Oxfordshire. The sisters played an active role in the social life of the village. Pym retired from her career in 1974. That year, she had a small
stroke
A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...
, which left her with temporary
dyslexia
Dyslexia, also known until the 1960s as word blindness, is a disorder characterized by reading below the expected level for one's age. Different people are affected to different degrees. Problems may include difficulties in spelling words, r ...
. She continued to write, completing ''
Quartet in Autumn
''Quartet in Autumn'' is a novel by British novelist Barbara Pym, first published in 1977. It was highly praised and shortlisted for the Booker Prize, the top literary prize in the UK. This was considered a comeback novel for Pym; she had fall ...
'' in 1976, which was similarly rejected by
Hamish Hamilton Limited
Hamish Hamilton Limited was a British book publishing house, founded in 1931 eponymously by the half- Scot half-American Jamie Hamilton (''Hamish'' is the vocative form of the Gaelic Seumas eaning James ''James'' the English form – which w ...
. Although Pym was no longer being published, she found a job on the awards committee of the
Romantic Novelists' Association
The Romantic Novelists' Association (RNA) is the professional body that represents authors of romantic fiction in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1960 by Denise Robins (first president), Barbara Cartland (first vice-president), Vivian Stuar ...
.
Rediscovery and final years
On 21 January 1977, the ''
Times Literary Supplement
''The Times Literary Supplement'' (''TLS'') is a weekly literary review published in London by News UK, a subsidiary of News Corp.
History
The ''TLS'' first appeared in 1902 as a supplement to ''The Times'' but became a separate publication ...
'' ran an article in which high-profile literary figures listed their most underrated and overrated British novelists of the century. Pym was chosen as the most underrated writer by both Larkin and
Lord David Cecil
Lord Edward Christian David Gascoyne-Cecil, CH (9 April 1902 – 1 January 1986) was a British biographer, historian, and scholar. He held the style of "Lord" by courtesy, as a younger son of a marquess.
Early life and studies
David Cecil was ...
, and was the only novelist to be selected by two contributors. On the strength of that review, literary interest in Pym was revived after 16 years.
Pym and Larkin had kept up a private correspondence for 17 years, but even his influence had previously been of no use in getting her a new publishing contract. Several publishing companies expressed an interest, including her former publisher Cape. Pym rejected them in favour of Macmillan, who agreed to publish ''Quartet in Autumn'' the same year. Before ''Quartet'' had been published, Macmillan also agreed to publish ''The Sweet Dove Died'', which she had reworked since completing it 10 years earlier. Cape reprinted her earlier novels, to which they still had the rights. The
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
interviewed Pym for a programme, ''Tea with Miss Pym'', which aired on 21 October 1977. Reviews of ''Quartet'' were almost uniformly positive, and the novel was nominated for the 1977