Book description
Sitwell's
Fanfare for Elizabeth
is a striking account of love, betrayal, and religion as it unfolds in
the court of King Henry VIII. Sitwell navigates elegantly through the
capricious nature both of Henry's court, and his love life. The youthful
hardships of little Elizabeth are played out against the backdrop of the
great drama of Henry's struggles with the Pope, and his six wives.
Charming in style, Fanfare for Elizabeth
ends on a vignette of Elizabeth in her early teens, still oblivious to
the grandeur she will ultimately inherit. Edith Sitwell (1887-1964)
was born into an aristocratic family and, along with her brothers,
Osbert and Sacheverell, had a significant impact on the artistic life of
the 20s. She encountered the work of the French symbolists, Rimbaud in
particular, early in her writing life and became a champion of the
modernist movement, editing six editions of the controversial magazine
Wheels. She remained a crusading force against philistinism and
conservatism throughout her life and her legacy lies as much in her
unstinting support of other artists as it does in her own poetry.
