Katherine Mansfield and Children

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

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 16 August 2023
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

What Virginia Woolf referred to as "Childlikeness" is a defining characteristic of Katherine Mansfield's personality, permeating every aspect 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 designed for children and intended for publication. Furthermore, it is evident in her juvenilia, where many of the stories she wrote during her early years for school magazines and other publications revolve around children. Even as an adult, Mansfield's fascination with miniatures, her genuine enjoyment of children, and her interest in dolls continued to manifest in her personal writings. Her relationship with John Middleton Murry was characterized by their mutual self-perception 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 book offers a fresh and insightful perspective on Mansfield's life and artistic achievements, shedding light on the enduring influence of her Childlikeness on her writing and personal experiences.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781474491914