About
Born Cicely Isabel Fairfield in London, Rebecca West adopted her pen name in 1911, inspired by the heroine of Ibsen's play Rosmersholm. She began her career writing for the feminist magazine The Freewoman. Her first novel, The Return of the Soldier (1918), was the first World War I novel written by a woman. Her major work, Black Lamb and Grey Falcon (1941), is a cultural and political study of the Balkans, regarded as one of the greatest travel books of the 20th century. She covered the Nuremberg trials for The New Yorker, resulting in The Meaning of Treason (1949). She was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1949, then elevated to Dame in 1959.
* 1892-12-21 — † 1983-03-15
Major works
- The Return of the Soldier (1918)novel
- Black Lamb and Grey Falcon (1941)non-fiction
- The Meaning of Treason (1949)non-fiction
- The Fountain Overflows (1956)novel
- A Train of Powder (1955)non-fiction
Key milestones
- 1911Adopts the pen name Rebecca West and begins writing for The Freewoman.
- 1949Appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).
- 1959Elevated to Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE).
Themes
FeminismWar and its aftermathTreason and loyaltyIdentity and autobiographyPolitics and society
Sources: npg.org.uk · id.loc.gov · archives.iu.edu