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Ursula Holden (born 8 August 1921) is an English novelist, author of twelve novels often inspired by her time spent in Ireland. She is often compared to Muriel Spark, Ivy Compton Burnett and Jean Rhys. Her first novel, Endless Race, was published when she was 54.
Biography[edit]
Ursula Holden was born 8 August, 1921, in Bridport, Dorset, fourth daughter of five children of Una Montgomery and Andrew Holden. Her father worked abroad, mostly in Egypt and Holden was educated at home by a governess before going to high school, aged 11, and then to board at St Michael's School, Bognor Regis, at the age of 15.
After World War II, Holden went to Ireland where she became a model in Dublin's Art School. Her marriage of twenty years to William Sidney Dixon was dissolved in 1970.
It was at a creative writing class at Chiswick Polytechnic in 1968 that she began to realize her talent for writing. After being signed by Andrew Huson of the John Johnson Literary Agency, her first three novels were published by London Magazine Editions. Admiring her work, the editor of London Magazine, Alan Ross, fostered Holden's career until his death in 2001.
Holden's dedication to writing and literature was recognized by the Royal Society of Literature with the award of a fellowship in 2010. In her early career, Holden's writing room was a booth in the typing room of the British Library. Over the years she benefitted from writer's retreats, and spent some time at the Millay, Yaddo and McDowell Colonies of Artists. The authors who have most influenced her include Jean Rhys, Rosamund Lehmann and Ernest Dowson.
She has never sought fame. 'I couldn't give up the writing time necessary to enter public life. Samuel Beckett stayed in his miserable little flat and hid away, even after he'd been awarded the Nobel prize. I utterly endorse that, but it takes guts.' [1]. A photo portrait of her by Fay Godwin is in the National Portrait Gallery, London.
These days her writing space is a private room at St Mary's Nursing Home, Chiswick, London. 'I write to live and live to write,' she says, and keeps to her daily practice. Her Tin Toys trilogy is to be republished by Virago in 2013.
Bibliography[edit]
Endless Race, 1975 Turnstiles, 1977 String Horses, 1979 Fallen Angels, 1979 The Cloud Catchers, 1979 Penny Links, 1981 Sing About It, 1982 Wider Pools, 1983 Eric's Choice, 1984 Tin Toys, 1987 Unicorn Sisters, 1988 Help Me Please, 1991
Holden wrote the introductions to several novels by Barbara Comyns published by Virago Press.
References[edit]
- ^ Murphy, Nicola, 'Keeping writer's flab at bay', The Times, 16.1.1999
External Links[edit]
Fellow of Royal Society of Literature biography<a href="http://www.jrank.org/literature/pages/4434/Ursula-Holden.html">Ursula Holden Biography - (1921– ), Endless Race, Eric's Choice, Tin Toys, Unicorn Sisters, A Bubble Garden</a>