Rosamund Stanhope
Encyclopedia
Rosamund Stanhope is a British poet and teacher known for her exuberant use of esoteric and unusual words.
Born 4 March 1919 in Northampton
, the daughter of a Latvian (German by adoption) leather merchant who changed his name after her birth from Steinberg to Stanhope, Rosamund Stanhope grew up in a classically wealthy and distant British family setting, boarding at two independent schools. She trained as an actress at the Central School of Speech and Drama
, where she was taught by Elsie Fogerty
, and embarked on her career at the Northgate Theatre, Exeter, but was diverted by the outbreak of the Second World War. She joined up as a WREN, and spent the war as a radio mechanic in Craile, Scotland. After the war she married and returned to the Central School to train as a teacher.
She was not a hugely prolific writer; she was after all also wife, mother and a dedicated teacher. She regularly had individual poems published in various literary magazines (and others, including for example the New Statesman
), and her first book of poetry was published in March 1962 by John Rolfe at the Scorpion Press
. The year after this she completed a degree in English, and broke her spine in an accident at home. Partially paralysed and psychologically traumatised, she was hospitalised for a string of related problems over 30 times in the following six years, and thereafter suffered chronic and intense pain.
She maintained her teaching position, finally retiring in 1987, aged 68, and continued writing, producing seven unpublished novels as well as the normal stream of poetry. Two collections of her poems were published by Peterloo Press in the 1990s, when she also featured as the Poetry Review's Poet of the Month. After a long and difficult descent into increasing disability, she died, her spark unquenched, peacefully at home in December 2005, aged 86.
Born 4 March 1919 in Northampton
Northampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
, the daughter of a Latvian (German by adoption) leather merchant who changed his name after her birth from Steinberg to Stanhope, Rosamund Stanhope grew up in a classically wealthy and distant British family setting, boarding at two independent schools. She trained as an actress at the Central School of Speech and Drama
Central School of Speech and Drama
The Central School of Speech and Drama was founded in London in 1906 by Elsie Fogerty to offer a new form of training in speech and drama for young actors and other students...
, where she was taught by Elsie Fogerty
Elsie Fogerty
Elsie Fogerty, was an English teacher of voice, diction and drama.She trained at the Paris Conservatoire, then taught at the Crystal Palace School of Art and Literature and Sir Frank Benson's London School of Acting.She founded the Central School of Speech and Drama in 1906 and trained such...
, and embarked on her career at the Northgate Theatre, Exeter, but was diverted by the outbreak of the Second World War. She joined up as a WREN, and spent the war as a radio mechanic in Craile, Scotland. After the war she married and returned to the Central School to train as a teacher.
She was not a hugely prolific writer; she was after all also wife, mother and a dedicated teacher. She regularly had individual poems published in various literary magazines (and others, including for example the New Statesman
New Statesman
New Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
), and her first book of poetry was published in March 1962 by John Rolfe at the Scorpion Press
Scorpion Press (Northwood)
The Scorpion Press was a small publisher, situated in Northwood, London, active in the late 1960s. They published a number of titles including the first three collections of Peter Porter. They ceased operations in the early 1970s....
. The year after this she completed a degree in English, and broke her spine in an accident at home. Partially paralysed and psychologically traumatised, she was hospitalised for a string of related problems over 30 times in the following six years, and thereafter suffered chronic and intense pain.
She maintained her teaching position, finally retiring in 1987, aged 68, and continued writing, producing seven unpublished novels as well as the normal stream of poetry. Two collections of her poems were published by Peterloo Press in the 1990s, when she also featured as the Poetry Review's Poet of the Month. After a long and difficult descent into increasing disability, she died, her spark unquenched, peacefully at home in December 2005, aged 86.
Published works
- So I looked down to Camelot - 1962
- Lapidary (1991)
- No Place for the Maudlin Heart (2001)
Sources
- Obituary
- Paper collection at University of Texas at Austin:
- her daughter, Louise Larchbourne