Vera Brittain and Winifred Holtby: Letters between writers and political campaigners tell of a friendship of pioneers

Through the letters, the book Between Friends tells the story of the friendship of the two pioneering women who made their mark as writers and social and political campaigners. “It was probably the most important relationship of their lives,” says Taylor. “It was a very close, personal, emotionally charged and supportive friendship.”

The archive of Holtby, who was from the East Riding of Yorkshire, is held at Hull History Centre and includes correspondence between her and Brittain. A proportion of the 863 surviving letters were published, having been heavily edited, by Brittain in 1960.

The Showalters’ book focuses on letters on the themes of Holtby and Brittain’s relationship to each other, their experiences as young professional women and their growth as writers.

"Most of the work on Between Friends was done during the first lockdown,” Martin explains, “so neither of the Showalters were able to come over to the UK. I had to scan all of the letters during lockdown and email them across – every single letter, all 863."

Brittain and Holtby met at Somerville College, Oxford, in 1919, and remained friends until Winifred's early death in 1935 of Bright’s disease, at the age of thirty-seven. Each encouraged and advised the other.

However, there were periods when they were literary rivals. Holtby landed a book deal first; Brittain produced an international bestseller with Testament of Youth; and the letters, written from 1920 to 1935, show them negotiating envy and self-doubt.

It was at times an uneven relationship; Brittain, more than four years older, was married and had two children, while Holtby was a single woman with an adventurous spirit, who travelled and made a wide range of friends.

Brittain decisively influenced Holtby's passion for feminism and peace. In turn, Holtby, who took care of Brittain's children, gave Vera crucial intellectual and emotional support, fiercely believing in her literary gifts.

Taylor says: “Contemporaries felt, and I think that comes across in the book of the letters, that Brittain rather took advantage of Winifred. Winifred loved Brittain dearly, was very supportive, looked after Brittain’s children, continued to boost her ego and Brittain was felt to take advantage...Whether this occurred to Winifred or Brittain or not, I don’t know, but Winifred seems to have been perfectly happy with the relationship.”

Holtby was born in the village of Rudston near Bridlington, a literate child who enjoyed writing from a young age. She won a scholarship to study at Somerville and went on to become a journalist, contributing to The Yorkshire Post and writing for pioneering feminist magazine Time and Tide.

Taylor says: “She wrote about anything for anybody. We have so much of her journalism here and it’s always a good read. She reviewed a lot of books as well and she wasn’t afraid of expressing her opinions either.”

Holtby was also a political activist and peace and social rights campaigner and during the height of the British Empire took a bold stand against injustice and racism in colonial South Africa, Taylor says.

“Brittain had earlier knowledge of feminism and pacifism and campaigning and really it was through Brittain that Winifred got to know about these subjects, which were such an important part of her political life and underpinned her campaigns…

"Winifred’s influence on Brittain was more emotional, more supportive. She was probably the better author but it was her who encouraged Brittain and rather perhaps subjugated herself, her own interest, to Brittain’s career to an extent.”

Holtby was also a great novelist. Much of her work is set in a fictional version of the East Riding, which she called the South Riding – also the name of perhaps her greatest novel, which was published posthumously in 1936, and has since been adapted for cinema, radio and television.

It was inspired by the experiences of her remarkable mother who was the first woman to be a major local politician in the real East Riding. Holtby wrote the book in the run up to her death, with Brittain securing its publication as her literary executor.

The many tributes that were paid to Holtby after she died point towards her warmth and influence. Time and Tide needed two special editions to contain them all, the Showalters write.

“Newspapers and magazines were inundated with remembrances saluting her as both an inspiring feminist, pacifist and anti-racialist leader, and a lively, approachable and lovable woman.”

Taylor hopes that Between Friends will give people “a better understanding of an important and perhaps underrated female literary figure who was important to Yorkshire and the East Riding”.

"She is still readable. Her views are modern - she was a feminist, an anti-racism campaigner and she was also fun as well. I think that sometimes gets overlooked when we’re looking at figures from the past…Holtby was fun. An evening that included her would have been entertaining.”

Between Friends: Letters of Vera Brittain and Winifred Holtby, edited by Elaine and English Showalter is out now, published by Virago.