Katherine Mansfield and Children

Childlikeness is a facet of Mansfield's personality that permeates her personal and creative life, present in her mature fiction, early poetry, and juvenilia. This volume explores these aspects of the child in Mansfield's work and life, including a newly discovered short story.

Format: Hardback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 31 October 2021
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

Virginia Woolf's concept of "Childlikeness" is a profound aspect of Mansfield's personality that permeates every facet of her personal and creative life. This trait is evident in her mature fiction, where some of her most renowned and accomplished stories, such as "Prelude" and "At the Bay," feature children as central characters. It is also present in her early poetry, which includes a collection of poems specifically crafted for children, with the intention of publication. Furthermore, this childlike quality can be observed in her juvenilia, where many of the stories she wrote during her early years for school magazines and other publications revolve around children. Even in adulthood, Mansfield's fascination with miniatures, her genuine affection for children, and her captivation with dolls continued to manifest in her personal writings. Her relationship with John Middleton Murry was characterized by their shared perception of themselves as little children fighting against a corrupt world. This comprehensive volume explores each of these facets of the child in Mansfield's work and life, including a newly discovered short story that may have been written by Mansfield, accompanied by an explanatory essay. By delving into these aspects, the volume offers a deeper understanding of the complex and multifaceted personality of this influential writer.

Weight: 494g
Dimension: 243 x 164 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781474491907