Queens and the Hive

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.

An exciting and original reconstruction of history that will give pleasure to select readers for many years. The New York Times Dame Edith Sitwell is the catalyst of poetry and history. She is able in this tired, utility second Elizabethan age to bring freshness to the English language worth of the first. The Times An evocation of [the Elizabethan] period by a poet of genius, and offers the reader something more than history. Chicago Daily Tribune