Joan Bennett ( Aline Frankau; 26 June 1896 – 20 July 1986), also known as Joan Frankau, was a British

literary Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to ...

scholar and critic. She was a

Fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

Girton College, Cambridge Girton College is one of the 31 constituent colleges of the University of Cambridge. The college was established in 1869 by Emily Davies and Barbara Bodichon as the first women's college in Cambridge. In 1948, it was granted full college status ...

, and a

lecturer Lecturer is an List of academic ranks, academic rank within many universities, though the meaning of the term varies somewhat from country to country. It generally denotes an academic expert who is hired to teach on a full- or part-time basis. T ...

in English at the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

from 1936 to 1964. She was among the "constellation of critics" called by the

defence Defense or defence may refer to: Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups * Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare * Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks * Defense industr ...

in the

Lady Chatterley Trial ''R v Penguin Books Ltd'' was the public prosecution in the United Kingdom of Penguin Books under the ''Obscene Publications Act 1959'' for the publication of D. H. Lawrence's 1928 novel ''Lady Chatterley's Lover''. The trial took place over ...

D. H. Lawrence David Herbert Lawrence (11 September 1885 – 2 March 1930) was an English writer, novelist, poet and essayist. His works reflect on modernity, industrialization, sexuality, emotional health, vitality, spontaneity and instinct. His best-k ...

Life and career

Bennett was the daughter of

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

cigar importer

Arthur Frankau Arthur Frankau (February 1849 – 21 November 1904) was the son of Bavarian-born Joseph Frankau (previously Frankenau), a Jewish merchant who moved to London from Frankfurt in 1837. Arthur ran the firm successfully, but suffered a bad shock fr ...

(1849-1904) and writer

Julia Frankau Julia Frankau (née Davis; 30 July 1859 – 17 March 1916) was a successful novelist who wrote under the name Frank Danby. Her first novel was published in 1887: ''Dr. Phillips: A Maida Vale Idyll''. Its portrayal of London Jews and Jewish l ...

(1859-1916). Though she was known as Joan throughout her life, she was christened Aline. She married the

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

literary historian

Henry Stanley Bennett Henry Stanley Bennett, FBA (15 January 1889 – 5 June 1972) was an English literary historian. Known as Stanley Bennett and publishing as H. S. Bennett, he was an authority on medieval England. He wrote ''Life on the English Manor'' (1937), an ...

(1889-1972) in 1920. Bennett was a life fellow of

, and additionally a

in English at the

from 1936 to 1964. She wrote one of the first critical studies of

Virginia Woolf Adeline Virginia Woolf (; ; 25 January 1882 28 March 1941) was an English writer, considered one of the most important modernist 20th-century authors and a pioneer in the use of stream of consciousness as a narrative device. Woolf was born i ...

. She was awarded the

Rose Mary Crawshay Prize The Rose Mary Crawshay Prize is a literary prize for female scholars, inaugurated in 1888 by the British Academy. Description The prize, set up in 1888, is said by the British Academy to be the only UK literary prize specifically for female sch ...

by the

British Academy The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national academy for the humanities and the social sciences. It was established in 1902 and received its royal charter in the same year. It is now a fellowship of more than 1,000 leading scholars span ...

in 1963 for her book ''Sir Thomas Brown: His Life and Achievement''. As one of the expert witnesses in the

, she helped counter the arguments of the prosecution by confirming Lawrence's reputation as a novelist, that the work was more than a description of sexual encounters, and that Lawrence's repeated use of ‘four-letter words’ were justified by literary intent. Bennett's mother had earlier been credited by Mrs Belloc Lowndes with having been "one of the very few to recognise the genius of D. H. Lawrence".Mrs Belloc Lowndes, ''The Merry Wives of Westminster'', Macmillan 1946 p62

Works

Publications by Joan Bennett include— * ''Four Metaphysical Poets – Donne,

Herbert Herbert may refer to: People Individuals * Herbert (musician), a pseudonym of Matthew Herbert Name * Herbert (given name) * Herbert (surname) Places Antarctica * Herbert Mountains, Coats Land * Herbert Sound, Graham Land Australia * Herbert ...

Vaughan Vaughan () (2021 population 323,103) is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is located in the Regional Municipality of York, just north of Toronto. Vaughan was the fastest-growing municipality in Canada between 1996 and 2006 with its population increas ...

, Crashaw'', Cambridge University Press 1934 * ''Virginia Woolf – Her Art as a Novelist'', Cambridge University Press 1945 * ''

George Eliot Mary Ann Evans (22 November 1819 – 22 December 1880; alternatively Mary Anne or Marian), known by her pen name George Eliot, was an English novelist, poet, journalist, translator, and one of the leading writers of the Victorian era. She wro ...

– Her Mind and her Art'', Cambridge University Press 1948 * ''Sir

Thomas Browne Sir Thomas Browne (; 19 October 160519 October 1682) was an English polymath and author of varied works which reveal his wide learning in diverse fields including science and medicine, religion and the esoteric. His writings display a deep curi ...

– "A Man of Achievement in Literature"'', Cambridge University Press 1962 * ''Five Metaphysical Poets – Donne, Herbert, Vaughan, Crashaw, Marvell'', Cambridge University Press 1964

References and notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bennett, Joan British academics of English literature English Jews 1896 births 1986 deaths Frankau family

Life and career

Works

Further reading

References and notes