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Florence Gertrude James (2 September 1902 – 25 August 1993) was an Australian writer and literary agent, born in New Zealand.


Life

James was born in
Gisborne, New Zealand Gisborne ( mi, Tūranga-nui-a-Kiwa "Great standing place of Kiwa") is a city in northeastern New Zealand and the largest settlement in the Gisborne District (or Gisborne Region). It has a population of The district council has its headquarter ...
, daughter of a refrigeration engineer with a successful consulting practice. She moved with her family to Sydney in 1920, studying at Sydney University 1923–26, and it was there that her friendship with
Dymphna Cusack Ellen Dymphna Cusack AM (21 September 1902 – 19 October 1981) was an Australian writer and playwright. Personal life Born in Wyalong, New South Wales, Cusack was educated at Saint Ursula's College, Armidale, New South Wales and graduated f ...
began, later to become a notable collaboration. They were both involved in debating and theatre; they shared a feminist, unionist and pacifist outlook. Both were much later to become opponents of nuclear weapons. Around 1930 she moved to London, working as a journalist, briefly sharing a room with
Christina Stead Christina Stead (17 July 190231 March 1983) was an Australian novelist and short-story writer acclaimed for her satirical wit and penetrating psychological characterisations. Christina Stead was a committed Marxist, although she was never a mem ...
. While there she married lawyer William J. "Pym" Heyting in 1932 and had two daughters, Julie and Frances, by him. They returned to Sydney in 1938. He joined the
RAAF "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
as an Intelligence officer, and became a
Wing Commander Wing commander (Wg Cdr in the RAF, the IAF, and the PAF, WGCDR in the RNZAF and RAAF, formerly sometimes W/C in all services) is a senior commissioned rank in the British Royal Air Force and air forces of many countries which have historical ...
. She worked as Public Appeals Officer for The
Royal Prince Alfred Hospital The Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (abbreviated RPAH or RPA) is a major public teaching hospital in Sydney, Australia, located on Missenden Road in Camperdown. It is a teaching hospital of the Central Clinical School of the Sydney Medical School ...
from 1940 to the end of 1944, when she resigned. From 1945 to 1947 she, her daughters, Dymphna Cusack and her niece shared a rented cottage 'Pinegrove' at
Hazelbrook Hazelbrook is a town situated in New South Wales, Australia (Elevation: 675 metres) It is located 91 kilometres west of Sydney and 16 kilometres east of Katoomba in the Blue Mountains on the Great Western Highway. History and description The ...
in the Blue Mountains. It was there that they collaborated on a children's book ''Four Winds and a Family'' and '' Come In Spinner'', which was to become the most successful book about life in wartime
Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
. It won the ''
Daily Telegraph Daily or The Daily may refer to: Journalism * Daily newspaper, newspaper issued on five to seven day of most weeks * ''The Daily'' (podcast), a podcast by ''The New York Times'' * ''The Daily'' (News Corporation), a defunct US-based iPad new ...
s £1000 novel competition in 1948 and the prizemoney was handed over but not announced. Publishers demanded substantial edits and it was not finally published until 1951. She returned with her daughters to London in 1947 to join her husband who was stationed there. They divorced in 1948. She remained there until 1963, working as a literary agent, initially for
Constable and Company Constable & Robinson Ltd. is an imprint of Little, Brown which publishes fiction and non-fiction books and ebooks. Founded in Edinburgh in 1795 by Archibald Constable as Constable & Co., and by Nick Robinson as Robinson Publishing Ltd in 1983, ...
, where authors she signed included
Mary Durack Dame Mary Durack (20 February 1913 – 16 December 1994) was an Australian author and historian. She wrote ''Kings in Grass Castles'' and ''Keep Him My Country''. Childhood Mary Durack, born in Adelaide, South Australia, to Michael Patrick ...
,
Sylvia Townsend Warner Sylvia Nora Townsend Warner (6 December 1893 – 1 May 1978) was an English novelist, poet and musicologist, known for works such as ''Lolly Willowes'', '' The Corner That Held Them'', and ''Kingdoms of Elfin''. Life Sylvia Townsend Warner wa ...
and Colin Johnson (aka Mudrooroo Narogin). She became active in the
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) is an organisation that advocates unilateral nuclear disarmament by the United Kingdom, international nuclear disarmament and tighter international arms regulation through agreements such as the Nucle ...
, participating in the Aldermaston March and activities of
Bertrand Russell Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, (18 May 1872 – 2 February 1970) was a British mathematician, philosopher, logician, and public intellectual. He had a considerable influence on mathematics, logic, set theory, linguistics, ...
's Committee of One Hundred. She returned to Australia in 1963 and joined the
Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abili ...
in 1968. In 1984 she restored the unexpurgated MS of ''Come In Spinner'' for Richard Walsh of
Angus and Robertson Angus & Robertson (A&R) is a major Australian bookseller, publisher and printer. As book publishers, A&R has contributed substantially to the promotion and development of Australian literature.Alison, Jennifer (2001). "Publishers and editors: A ...
. She died in 1993 at the Wesley Heights retirement village at Manly, where her friend and collaborator Dymphna Cusack died twelve years earlier.


Works

*''Four Winds and a Family'' by Dymphna Cusack and Florence James (1946) pub. Shakespeare Head Press *''Come In Spinner'' by Dymphna Cusack and Florence James (1951) pub. Heinemann


References

*North, Marilla (ed) (2001) ''Yarn Spinners: a story in letters of Dymphna Cusack, Florence James and Miles Franklin'', St Lucia, University of Queensland Press


External links


The Australian Women's RegisterAustLit: The Australian Literary Resource
(Full biography only available to subscribers, which includes many or most libraries and educational institutions). {{DEFAULTSORT:James, Florence 1902 births 1993 deaths 20th-century Australian novelists Australian women novelists New Zealand writers New Zealand women writers 20th-century Australian women writers Australian feminists Australian Quakers Quaker feminists New Zealand feminists People from Gisborne, New Zealand Nonviolence advocates Australian Christian pacifists New Zealand Christian pacifists 20th-century Quakers