Dame Emilie Rose Macaulay, (1 August 1881 – 30 October 1958) was an English writer, most noted for her award-winning novel ''

The Towers of Trebizond ''The Towers of Trebizond'' is a novel by Rose Macaulay (1881–1958). Published in 1956, it was the last of her novels, and the most successful. It was awarded the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for fiction in the year of its publication. Plot ...

'', about a small

Anglo-Catholic Anglo-Catholicism comprises beliefs and practices that emphasise the Catholic heritage and identity of the various Anglican churches. The term was coined in the early 19th century, although movements emphasising the Catholic nature of Anglica ...

group crossing Turkey by camel. The story is seen as a spiritual autobiography, reflecting her own changing and conflicting beliefs. Macaulay's novels were partly influenced by

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 also wrote biographies and travelogues.

Early years and education

Macaulay was born in

Rugby, Warwickshire Rugby is a market town in eastern Warwickshire, England, close to the River Avon. In the 2021 census its population was 78,125, making it the second-largest town in Warwickshire. It is the main settlement within the larger Borough of Rugby whi ...

the daughter of

George Campbell Macaulay George Campbell Macaulay (6 August 1852 – 6 July 1915), also known as G. C. Macaulay, was a noted English classical scholar. His daughter was the fiction writer Rose Macaulay. Family Macaulay was born on 6 August 1852, in Hodnet, Shropshire, ...

, a

classical scholar Classics or classical studies is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, classics traditionally refers to the study of Classical Greek and Roman literature and their related original languages, Ancient Greek and Latin. Classics ...

, and his wife, Grace Mary (née Conybeare). Her father was descended in the male-line directly from the

Macaulay family of Lewis The Macaulay family of Uig in Lewis, known in Scottish Gaelic as ''Clann mhic Amhlaigh'', were a small family located around Uig on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. There is no connection between the Macaulays of Lewis and C ...

. She was educated at Oxford High School for Girls and read Modern History at

Somerville College Somerville College, a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England, was founded in 1879 as Somerville Hall, one of its first two women's colleges. Among its alumnae have been Margaret Thatcher, Indira Gandhi, Dorothy Hodgkin, ...

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

Career

Macaulay began writing her first novel, ''Abbots Verney'' (published 1906), after leaving Somerville and while living with her parents at Ty Isaf, near

Aberystwyth Aberystwyth () is a university and seaside town as well as a community in Ceredigion, Wales. Located in the historic county of Cardiganshire, means "the mouth of the Ystwyth". Aberystwyth University has been a major educational location in ...

, in Wales. Later novels include ''The Lee Shore'' (1912), ''Potterism'' (1920), ''Dangerous Ages'' (1921), ''Told by an Idiot'' (1923), ''And No Man's Wit'' (1940), '' The World My Wilderness'' (1950), and ''

'' (1956). Her non-fiction work includes ''They Went to Portugal'', ''Catchwords and Claptrap'', a biography of

John Milton John Milton (9 December 1608 – 8 November 1674) was an English poet and intellectual. His 1667 epic poem '' Paradise Lost'', written in blank verse and including over ten chapters, was written in a time of immense religious flux and political ...

, and ''Pleasure of Ruins''. Macaulay's fiction was influenced by Virginia Woolf and

Anatole France (; born , ; 16 April 1844 – 12 October 1924) was a French poet, journalist, and novelist with several best-sellers. Ironic and skeptical, he was considered in his day the ideal French man of letters. He was a member of the Académie França ...

. Stanley J. Kunitz and

Howard Haycraft Howard Haycraft (July 25, 1905November 12, 1991) was an American writer, editor, and publisher. Haycraft was born on July 24, 1905, in Madelia, Minnesota, to Marie (Stelzer) and Julius Everett Haycraft. He received a bachelor's degree from the ...

, editors; ''Twentieth Century Authors, A Biographical Dictionary of Modern Literature'', (3rd edition). New York, The H. W. Wilson Company, 1950, pp. 865–66. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Macaulay worked in the British Propaganda Department, after some time as a nurse and later as a civil servant in the

War Office The War Office was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the new Ministry of Defence (MoD). This article contains text from ...

. She pursued a romantic affair with Gerald O'Donovan, a writer and former Jesuit priest, whom she met in 1918; the relationship lasted until his death, in 1942. During the interwar period she was a sponsor of the pacifist

Peace Pledge Union The Peace Pledge Union (PPU) is a non-governmental organisation that promotes pacifism, based in the United Kingdom. Its members are signatories to the following pledge: "War is a crime against humanity. I renounce war, and am therefore determin ...

; however she resigned from the PPU and later recanted her pacifism in 1940. Her London flat was destroyed in

the Blitz The Blitz was a German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom in 1940 and 1941, during the Second World War. The term was first used by the British press and originated from the term , the German word meaning 'lightning war'. The Germa ...

, and she had to rebuild her life and library from scratch, as documented in the semi-autobiographical short story, ''Miss Anstruther's Letters'', which was published in 1942. Rose Macaulay blue plaque, Hinde Street, London

Rose Macaulay blue plaque, Hinde Street, London

'', her final novel, is generally regarded as her masterpiece. Strongly autobiographical, it treats with wistful humour and deep sadness the attractions of

mystical Mysticism is popularly known as becoming one with God or the Absolute, but may refer to any kind of ecstasy or altered state of consciousness which is given a religious or spiritual meaning. It may also refer to the attainment of insight in u ...

Christianity, and the irremediable conflict between adulterous love and the demands of the Christian faith. For this work, she received the

James Tait Black Memorial Prize The James Tait Black Memorial Prizes are literary prizes awarded for literature written in the English language. They, along with the Hawthornden Prize, are Britain's oldest literary awards. Based at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, Uni ...

in 1956.

Personal life

Macaulay was never a simple believer in "

mere Christianity ''Mere Christianity'' is a Christian apologetical book by the British author C. S. Lewis. It was adapted from a series of BBC radio talks made between 1941 and 1944, originally published as three separate volumes: ''Broadcast Talks'' (1942), ...

", and her writings reveal a more complex, mystical sense of the Divine. That said, she did not return to the

Anglican 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 th ...

church until 1953; she had been an ardent

secularist Secularism is the principle of seeking to conduct human affairs based on secular, naturalistic considerations. Secularism is most commonly defined as the separation of religion from civil affairs and the state, and may be broadened to a sim ...

before and, while religious themes pervade her novels, previous to her conversion she often treats Christianity satirically, for instance in ''Going Abroad'' and ''The World My Wilderness''. Macaulay never married. She was created a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) on 31 December 1957 in the 1958 New Years Honours''London Gazette'' notice of Macaulay's damehood
/ref> and died ten months later, on 30 October 1958, aged 77. She was an active

feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...

throughout her life.

Works

Fiction: * ''Abbots Verney'' (1906) John Murray * ''The Furnace'' (1907) John Murray * ''The Secret River'' (1909) John Murray * ''The Valley Captives'' (1911) John Murray * ''Views and Vagabonds'' (1912) John Murray * ''The Lee Shore'' (1913) Hodder & Stoughton * ''The Making of a Bigot'' (c 1914) Hodder & Stoughton * ''Non-Combatants and Others'' (1916) Hodder & Stoughton * ''What Not: A Prophetic Comedy'' (1918) * ''Potterism'' (1920) William Collins * ''Dangerous Ages'' (1921) William Collins * ''Mystery At Geneva: An Improbable Tale of Singular Happenings'' (1922) William Collins * ''Told by an Idiot'' (1923) William Collins * ''Orphan Island'' (1924) William Collins * ''Crewe Train'' (1926) William Collins * ''Keeping Up Appearances'' (1928) William Collins * ''Staying with Relations'' (1930) William Collins * ''

They Were Defeated ''They Were Defeated'' is a historical novel by Rose Macaulay, first published in 1932. It was published in the USA under the title ''The Shadow Flies''. It was through the publication of the American edition that Macaulay got back in touch with ...

'' (1932) William Collins * ''Going Abroad'' (1934) William Collins * ''I Would Be Private'' (1937) William Collins * ''And No Man's Wit'' (1940) William Collins * '' The World My Wilderness'' (1950) William Collins * ''

'' (1956) William Collins Poetry: * ''The Two Blind Countries'' (1914) Sidgwick & Jackson * ''Three Days'' (1919) Constable * ''Misfortunes'', with engravings by

Stanley Morison Stanley Arthur Morison (6 May 1889 – 11 October 1967) was a British typographer, printing executive and historian of printing. Largely self-educated, he promoted higher standards in printing and an awareness of the best printing and typefaces o ...

(1930) Non-fiction: * ''A Casual Commentary'' (1925) Methuen * ''Some Religious Elements in English Literature'' (1931) Hogarth * ''Milton'' (1934) Duckworth * ''Personal Pleasures'' (1935) Gollancz * ''The Minor Pleasures of Life'' (1936) Gollancz * ''An Open Letter'' (1937) Peace Pledge Union * ''The Writings of E.M. Forster'' (1938) Hogarth * ''Life Among the English'' (1942) William Collins * ''Southey in Portugal'' (1945) Nicholson & Watson * ''They Went to Portugal'' (1946) Jonathan Cape * ''Evelyn Waugh'' (1946) Horizon * ''Fabled Shore: From the Pyrenees to Portugal By Road'' (1949) Hamish Hamilton * ''Pleasure of Ruins'' (1953) Thames & Hudson * ''Coming to London'' (1957) Phoenix House * ''Letters to a Friend 1950–52'' (1961) William Collins * ''Last Letters to a Friend 1952–1958'' (1962) William Collins * ''Letters to a Sister'' (1964) William Collins * ''They Went to Portugal Too'' (1990) (The second part of ''They Went to Portugal'', not published with the 1946 edition because of paper restrictions.) Carcanet

References

External links

* * * * * * * Profile of Rose o
Great Shelford website
where she lived some of her life {{DEFAULTSORT:Macaulay, Rose 1881 births 1958 deaths Alumni of Somerville College, Oxford Anglo-Catholic writers British women in World War I Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire English Anglo-Catholics English feminists English people of Scottish descent English women novelists Female nurses in World War I James Tait Black Memorial Prize recipients

Rose A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be ...