Winifred Holtby

Chris Willis (London Metropolitan University)

One of Yorkshire's best-loved authors, Winifred Holtby (1898-1935) died tragically young in 1935 just after finishing her masterpiece, South Riding.

Born the Yorkshire Wolds village of Rudston in 1898, Holtby was the daughter of farmers Alice (nèe Winn) and David Holtby. As a teenager, Winifred was sent to Queen Margaret's School, Scarborough. On 6 December 1914 the town was shelled by German warships, causing heavy casualties. 16-year-old Holtby's vivid eye-witness account was published in the Bridlington Chronicle. The article was reprinted as a pamphlet and sold in aid of the Red Cross. It was still being used as a teaching aid in Scarborough schools in the 1970s.

After working briefly in a London nu

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First published 07 July 2001

Citation: Willis, Chris. "Winifred Holtby". The Literary Encyclopedia. 07 July 2001

[http://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=5056, accessed 30 July 2010.]

Life, Works and Times

Dates:

1898 to 1935 (Life Span)
1918 to 1935 (Activity Span)

Places:

England (Birth)
England (Primary Activity)

Activities:

Journalist (Primary)
Novelist (Primary)