Mid-Century Women's Writing: Disrupting the Public/Private Divide - Paperback

by Melissa Dinsman (Editor), Megan Faragher (Editor), Ravenel Richardson (Editor)

The traditional narrative of the mid-century (1930s-60s) is that of a wave of expansion and constriction, with the swelling of economic and political freedoms for women in the 1930s, the cresting of women in the public sphere during the Second World War, and the resulting break as employment and political opportunities for women dwindled in the 1950s when men returned home from the front. But as the burgeoning field of interwar and mid-century women's writing has demonstrated, this narrative is in desperate need of re-examination. Mid-century women's writing: Disrupting the public/private divide aims to revivify studies of female writers, journalists, broadcasters, and public intellectuals living or working in Britain, or under British rule, during the mid-century while also complicating extant narratives about the divisions between domesticity and politics.

Back Jacket

Mid-century women's writing aims to revivify studies of female writers, journalists, broadcasters, and public intellectuals living or working in Britain, or under British rule, during the mid-century whilst challenging and enriching extant narratives about the divisions between domesticity and politics.

The mid-century (1930-60s) was an era of seismic shifts for British women, including those living under British rule in the colonies, in both the public and private spheres. The traditional narrative of these years is a wave of expansion and constriction, with the surge of economic and political freedoms for women in the 1930s, the cresting of women in the public sphere during the Second World War, and the subsequent decline in employment and political prospects as men returned home from the frontlines in the 1950s. However, as the burgeoning field of interwar and mid-century women's writing has demonstrated, this narrative is in desperate need of re-examination.

The book highlights the work of non-canonical women writers alongside their more well-known counterparts, covering writers such as Mary Renault, Celia Fremlin, Rebecca West, Marghanita Laski, Daphne du Maurier and Elizabeth Taylor. The essays in this collection explore how women represented the transformation of the quotidian -- including the home, employment, family life, and religious participation -- during the mid-century.

Author Biography

Melissa Dinsman is Associate Professor of English at York College, CUNY
Megan Faragher is Professor of English at Wright State University-Lake Campus
Ravenel Richardson is Executive Director of the Strategic Partnerships and Research Collaborative at Case Western Reserve University