Sylvia Townsend Warner masterfully navigates the complexities of the human psyche, often delving into themes of magic, sexuality, and societal norms. Her style is characterized by a sharp wit and an original irony, offering readers a unique perspective on the world. Warner explores the tension between the individual and society, frequently employing fantastical elements to illuminate reality. Her work aims to provoke thought and challenge conventional perceptions.
T H White, author of the much-loved The Sword in The Stone, The Once and Future King, The Goshawk, and many other works of English literature, died in Greece from a heart attack in 1964, aged 57. Warner treats White's repressed homosexuality and his sexual predilections with humane understanding in this wise portrait of a tormented literary giant.
This Christmas, bask in these 'diminutive masterpieces' (Guardian) by the English genius behind Lolly Willowes. "One of our finest writers." -- Neil Gaiman "One of the most shamefully under-read great British authors of the past 100 years. " -- Sarah Waters "Diminutive masterpieces ... Hand yourself over to be enchanted." -- Guardian "Extraordinary, lucid wildness." -- Helen MacDonald Decades after her divorce, a lady returns to the village of her tumultuous marriage. A railway carriage hosts a charged schoolboy encounter. A murder raises fears of blackmail. A woman waits anxiously in a café before eloping to Paris. Another steals a friend's kitchen knife. In these bittersweet tales, the author of Lolly Willowes reveals her mastery of the short story, celebrated by the New Yorker for decades. Sylvia Townsend Warner is a tragicomic chronicler of the heart's entanglements, from marriages and affairs to widowhood; and a champion of outsiders, whether single women, the elderly or wartime refugees. Witty and subversive, her stories meld tradition and transgression, with secret sins and fetishes as much a feature of English life as eccentric aunts, country houses and parish churches.
The book features a protagonist whose extraordinary talent sets her apart, capturing the attention of those around her. As she navigates the complexities of her life, her genius becomes both a gift and a burden, influencing her relationships and aspirations. The narrative delves into themes of creativity, identity, and the struggles of living up to high expectations, exploring how her exceptional abilities shape her journey and impact those who admire her.
'The kind of novelist who inspires an intense sense of ownership in her fans ... her sympathies tended naturally to the marginal, the vulnerable, the exploited, the obscure' Sarah Waters Sukey Bond, a sixteen-year-old orphan, is sent to work as a servant at a farm on the remote Essex Marshes. There she falls in love with gentle, unworldly Eric, the son of the rector's wife, only for them to be separated when their relationship is discovered. But nothing will deter Sukey in her quest to be reunited with her true love, even if it means seeking the help of Queen Victoria herself. 'One of our most idiosyncratic, courageous and versatile writers' Hermione Lee 'One can't be too thankful that Miss Townsend Warner has lived to discover the alchemist's secret of transmuting the past into pure gold' Hilary Spurling
'A comic masterpiece' Patrick Gale, Guardian Pillar of society and stern upholder of Victorian values, god-fearing Norfolk merchant John Barnard presides over a large and largely unhappy family. This is their story - his brandy-swilling wife, their hapless offspring and their changing fortunes - over the decades. Sylvia Townsend Warner's last novel, The Flint Anchor gloriously overturns our ideas of history, family and storytelling itself. 'A novel created with solidity and subtlety of feeling, a fusion of warmth, wit and quietly biting shrewdness that are reminiscent of Jane Austen' Atlantic Review 'As a sustained work of historical imagination, it has few rivals ... one of the most acute and intelligent writers of her age' Claire Harman
The 23 stories in Of Cats and Elfins encompass scholarship, black humour, the Gothic, and the anthropomorphic cats of The Cat's Cradle Book (1940), which enact Warner's preoccupation with the dark forces at large in Europe in the later 1930s. This is a major fantasy collection for a new generation of fantasy enthusiasts and Warner fans.
Endorsed by Neil Gaiman, this new edition of Sylvia Townsend Warner's final collection of short stories brings her fantasy writing to a new readership. These sixteen sly and enchanting stories of Elfindom show Warner's mastery of realist fantasy that recalls the success of her first novel, the witchcraft classic Lolly Willowes (1926).
A masterful historical novel of monastic life, set in the 14th century. Many consider this Townsend Warner's most accomplished work.
Set against the backdrop of love, war, and death, this novel explores profound themes with a captivating narrative. Its engaging storytelling and innovative approach make it a remarkable read that resonates with contemporary audiences while being ahead of its time. The interplay of personal and historical conflicts offers a thought-provoking experience, blending entertainment with deep emotional insights.
'Witty, poetic, clairvoyant' John Updike The Reverend Timothy Fortune, ex-clerk of the Hornsey branch of Lloyds Bank, has found his vocation: to convert the inhabitants of the remote tropical island of Fanua to Christianity. Even when everyone except for a young boy called Lueli remains indifferent to his preaching, Mr Fortune's good spirits cannot be dampened - until one day his faith is put to a terrible test. 'This quizzical tale is so intensely moving' Gillian Beer, New Statesman 'Original, elegant and hypnotically strange' Miranda Seymour, The New York Times 'Sylvia Townsend Warner pursues the psychology of the story with beautiful accuracy' John Carey
Conversation Gambits actively teaches the language of conversation and discussion. Throughout their careful choice of language, the authors predict the words and phrases students will require to take part in the conversation activities effectively.
Four novels deal with a woman who is dissatisfied with conventional choices, a missionary who visits a South Sea island, the daily life of fourteenth century nuns, and the French Revolution
'A great shout of life and individuality ... an act of defiance that gladdens the soul' Guardian Lolly Willowes, so gentle and accommodating, has depths no one suspects. When she suddenly announces that she is leaving London and moving, alone, to the depths of the countryside, her overbearing relatives are horrified. But Lolly has a greater, far darker calling than family: witchcraft. 'The book I'll be pressing into people's hands forever . . . It tells the story of a woman who rejects the life that society has fixed for her in favour of freedom ... tips suddenly into extraordinary, lucid wildness' Helen Macdonald 'Witty, eerie, tender ... her prose, in its simple, abrupt evocations, has something preternatural about it' John Updike
