Switch to English Switch to French

The Open University  |   Study at the OU  |   About the OU  |   Research at the OU  |   Search the OU

Listen to this page  |   Accessibility

the experience of reading in Britain, from 1450 to 1945...

Reading Experience Database UK Historical image of readers
  RED International Logo

RED Australia logo


RED Canada logo
RED Netherlands logo
RED New Zealand logo

Record Number: 18454


Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'He sat down on the floor beside me, and helped me to look up "droil". "What's this?" he said, taking up my proofs. I simpered. He took them out into the garden, spread a rug very carefully on the grass, and began to read. I fled upstairs and packed. After an hour I re-appeared. The Laureate was still reading.'

Century:

1900-1945

Date:

Between 9 Mar 1892 and 28 Jun 1926

Country:

England

Time

morning: Earlier in the letter Vita mentions that her conversation with Bridges takes place 'after breakfast'.

Place:

city: Weald, Sevenoaks
county: Kent
specific address: Long Barn

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown


Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Robert Bridges

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

n/a

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

Poet

Religion:

Unknown

Country of Origin:

Unknown

Country of Experience:

England

Listeners present if any:
e.g family, servants, friends

n/a


Additional Comments:

n/a



Text Being Read:

Author:

Vita Sackville-West

Title:

The Land

Genre:

Poetry

Form of Text:

Manuscript: Sheet, Proofs

Publication Details

Published by Heinemann

Provenance

read in situ
Robert Bridges was reading proofs owned by Vita Sackville-West


Source Information:

Record ID:

18454

Source:

Print

Author:

Vita Sackville-West

Editor:

Nigel Nicolson

Title:

Vita and Harold

Place of Publication:

Great Britain

Date of Publication:

1992

Vol:

n/a

Page:

148

Additional Comments:

Quotation taken from a letter dated 28 June 1926 written by Vita Sackville-West to Harold Nicolson.

Citation:

Vita Sackville-West, Nigel Nicolson (ed.), Vita and Harold (Great Britain, 1992), p. 148, http://can-red-lec.library.dal.ca/Arts/RED/record_details.php?id=18454, accessed: 24 April 2024


Additional Comments:

The editor has added a footnote explaining that Robert Bridges was Poet Laureate and that Vita had been staying the night at his house near Oxford.

   
   
Green Turtle Web Design