Barbara pym biography autobiography memoirs

Released after Pym's death, the volume was edited by Pym's sister Hilary and her literary executor Hazel Holt. The volume contains excerpts from Pym's letters, diaries, and notebooks from to The sections contain commentary by Holt and Hilary Pym to provide context on Pym's life, relationships, and career as a novelist.

Barbara pym biography autobiography memoirs: Barbara Pym (–) was

Pym was a dedicated journalist, who detailed her daily life as well as observations about people around her which she might use for a future novel. Pym kept a formal diary separate to her writing observations from to , after which time she recorded both personal and literary ideas in the same series of notebooks. Most years of Pym's adult life are represented, although the diaries are limited for the period — During this era, as well as publishing six novels, Pym was working full-time at the International African Institute in London and thus had less time to devote to keeping her notebooks.

The two books are designed to complement each other; thus, Holt focuses much of her time on the years —, filling out the gaps in the text of A Very Private Eye. Heavily featured are letters between Pym and the poet Philip Larkin. The two authors shared a two-decade correspondence from until Pym's death, although they did not meet in person until The volume was published by Macmillan in England and by E.

Dutton in the United States.