This Rare Spirit: A Life of Charlotte Mew

The first comprehensive biography of the British poet Charlotte Mew (1869-1928) is written by fellow poet Julia Copus. Mew was considered one of the best poets of her age by fellow writers such as Virginia Woolf, Siegfried Sasson, Walter de la Mare, and Marianne Moore. This Rare Spirit rejects the view of the poet as a mouse and presents a true sense of a spikily modern woman, bound by obligations but resilient, headstrong, and poetically inventive. The book is praised for its breadth of research and compassionate depiction of Mew and her milieu. It is considered a classic work of literary biography.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 480 pages
Publication date: 07 April 2022
Publisher: Faber & Faber

Charlotte Mew (1869-1928) was a British poet who was highly regarded by her contemporaries, including Virginia Woolf, Siegfried Sasson, Walter de la Mare, and Marianne Moore. However, she has since been overlooked, despite her 150th anniversary in 2019. This is the first comprehensive biography of Mew, covering her life from cradle to grave, and it is written by fellow poet Julia Copus. Copus recently unveiled a blue plaque on Mew's childhood house in Doughty Street and was the editor of her collected works.

One of the remarkable achievements of This Rare Spirit is its rejection of the tired view of the poet as a meek mouse that barely roared. Instead, it presents a true sense of a spikily modern woman, bound by various obligations but resilient, headstrong, and poetically inventive. Charlotte Mew's life and work are intricately explored in the book, with Copus conducting extensive research to provide a comprehensive account. The author's compassionate and detailed conjuring of Mew and her milieu adds depth and richness to the biography.

Critics have hailed This Rare Spirit as a supreme biography. Declan Ryan, writing for the Los Angeles Review of Books, describes it as "a supreme biography. It is hard to do justice to the breadth of research Copus has done here, or the compassionate, detailed conjuring of Mew and her milieu." He further states that the book is an essential read, a classic work of literary biography. Seán Hewitt, of the Irish Times, praises the biography as "keenly intelligent, fascinating, and nuanced." He emphasizes that it is a must-read for anyone interested in Charlotte Mew and her work. Joanna Kavenna, of the Literary Review, calls the book "an exquisitely told account of the life of a half-forgotten London poet whose work was admired by Hardy, Sassoon, and Virginia Woolf." She praises Julia Copus for finally doing justice to Mew's legacy. Claire Tomalin, in her review for the Sunday Times, describes This Rare Spirit as a "classic - the biography of Mew we have all been waiting for." She praises Copus for her meticulous research and for providing a fresh perspective on Mew's life and work. Fiona Benson, in her review for the Financial Times, also praises the book, calling it a "classic" and stating that it is the biography of Mew that we have all been waiting for.

In conclusion, This Rare Spirit is a remarkable biography that offers a fresh and insightful perspective on the life and work of Charlotte Mew. Julia Copus's diligent and scholarly work has done justice to the legacy of this undervalued writer, and the book is a must-read for anyone interested in literary biography. Charlotte Mew's poetry continues to resonate with readers today, and her story deserves to be celebrated and remembered.

Weight: 406g
Dimension: 129 x 196 x 36 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780571313549
Edition number: Main