Virginia Woolf died 83 years ago today, on March 28, 1941. Lots has been written about her life — and her death. But today I want to suggest that we remember her by reading her work.
The Virginia Woolf Society of Great Britain is doing just that by organizing a new Woolf and Bloomsbury reading group for members only, which gives us one more reason to join that esteemed society.
The group will read the works of Virginia Woolf and some of her Bloomsbury contemporaries and friends to find connections, influences and similarities between them.
The meetings will be a mixture of face-to-face and online discussions, with the kick-off meeting to take place online on April 6.
The May meeting will be the first reading group, which will focus on a discussion of The Voyage Out.
You can be a part of it by joining the Virginia Woolf Society of Great Britain, starting at £25 (£10 students).
Read Woolf on your own
You can also vow to read Woolf on your own. Take a look at two ways to do this in this recent post on Blogging Woolf.
We are nearing the tail end of Women’s History Month and who better to read than Virginia Woolf?
Virginia and Leonard Woolf moved into Monk’s House in Rodmell in 1919, and as the Monk’s House guidebook states, “Books dominated the house.” During a 2019 visit, books were the first thing we saw as we entered through the back doorway. They lined the stairs to the second floor.
To that end, I have two resources that give advice on “Where to start with Virginia Woolf.”
At the starting gate with Penguin
“Are you afraid of Virginia Woolf?” asks Penguin. The publisher then advises: “There’s no need: there’s something for everyone in the Modernist writer’s back catalogue.”
The second comes from the New York Public Library. Their guide on “Where to Start With Virginia Woolf” includes a brief synopsis of each work and recommends reading them in this order:
Meanwhile, Woolf scholar Maggie Humm’s Twitter post two years ago on World Book Day included a list of the books Woolf liked and disliked most in 1924, 100 years ago.
Join Dr. Derek Ryan at Sissinghurst Catle Garden on April 5 for “Virginia Woolf’s Orlando: Masterclass,” a masterclass celebrating Virginia Woolf’s Orlando.
Rooftop view of Sissinghurst Gardens
The course will delve into the world of Vita Sackville-West and Virginia Woolf as Ryan, senior lecturer in modernist literature at the University of Kent, explores their letters. He will maintain a particular focus on those mentioning Sissinghurst Castle Garden near Cranbook, Kent.
The masterclass unfolds with a lecture exploring Vita and Orlando, leading to a workshop where participants craft a sequel inspired by Sissinghurst.
Participants will wander through the garden, immersing themselves in the letters’ nuances, and collaboratively creating a literary piece.
With his expertise and insightful guidance, Ryan brings the Bloomsbury era to life, making this 3-hour masterclass a unique and enriching experience.
Masterclass details
Where:Sissinghurst Castle Garden When: April 5 from 1 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. Cost: £35. Where to meet: Participants will meet outside Visitor Reception. What to wear: Weather appropriate clothing, as some of the class will take place outdoors. Accessibility: Part of the event will take place upstairs in the Oast Exhibition Space, so participants should be able to navigate stairs. Parking: There is car parking available on site with standard charges of £4 for all day parking that can be paid for at Visitor Reception. Parking is free for National Trust members. For more information:Learn more about the class. Booking:Book the class.
The tower that contains Vita Sackville West’s personal study at Sissinghurst Castle.
It includes photographs of the Stephen family, Talland House, St. Ives and more. It also includes a brief interview with Leonard Woolf, along with interviews with others who knew Virginia.
The second, “The Mysterious Gift to Virginia Woolf,” takes a whimsical approach.
It introduces an imaginative new play by the same name that features a mysterious painting by Virginia’s sister, Vanessa Bell that is titled “Mrs. Dalloway’s Party.” Reserve more than an hour for this one.
More about the painting
Exhibited in 1922, the painting disappeared until British art dealer Anthony d’Offay offered it in 1983 from the estate of Virginia Woolf.
For more background on the painting, listen to a 2023 27-minute podcast “Mrs. Dalloway’s Party,” that features Dr. Karina Jakubowicz. In it, she speaks with the painting’s owner, Howard Ginsberg. She also interviews the bestselling author of Bloomsbury Pie: The Making of the Bloomsbury Room, Regina Marler, as they discuss paintings and parties in 1920s Bloomsbury.
More good news: You can order it from Blackwell’s at a price of $38.82, which includes shipping to the U.S.
What’s in the book
The most comprehensive portrayal of Virginia Woolf’s education to date
Examination of the link between Virginia Stephen’s education and Virginia Woolf’s essays
A focus on Woolf’s nonfiction and her early work
Two holograph draft lectures by Virginia Stephen for the first time
A compilation and organization of archival material in appendices for future researchers.
According to the publisher:
This study takes up Woolf’s challenge to probe the relationship between education and work, specifically her education and her work as an essayist. It expands her education beyond her father’s library to include not only a broader examination of her homeschooling but also her teaching at Morley College and her early book reviewing. It places Virginia Stephen’s learning in the historical and cultural contexts of education for women, the working classes and writers in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.
Part two
Rigel Daugherty is working on a follow-up volume, Virginia Woolf’s Essays: Being a Teacher. With this volume, Beth says, “I hope to clarify how her essays continue to teach and continue to encourage readers to join the literary conversation.”
About the author
Recently retired from Ohio’s Otterbein University, Beth Rigel Daugherty taught modernist English literature, Virginia Woolf, and Appalachian and Native American literature, along with many thematically focused writing courses, for 36 years.
Beth Rigel Daugherty (at far left), Leslie Hankins and Diane Gillespie presented a panel on “Portraying and Projecting Age, Ageism, and Activism” at the 19th Annual International Conference on Virginia Woolf, with its theme of social justice, at the University of Mount Saint Joseph in Cincinnati in June of 2019.
