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The page of Smith, Stevie, English biography

Image of Smith, Stevie
Smith, Stevie
(1902–1971)

Biography

Stevie Smith (1902 - 1971). The first work by Stevie Smith to be published was a collection of six poems, which appeared in the New Statesman in 1935. Later that year, she was advised to ‘go away and write a novel'. This she did, using the yellow paper used at Pearson's for carbon copies. The avant garde Novel on Yellow Paper or Work It Out For Yourself was published in 1936 and was an instant success. Two further novels followed, preceded by her first volume of poetry, A Good Time Was Had By All, published in 1937. Stevie's poetry was at first less successful than her novels had been and during the late 1940s and early 1950s she was comparatively neglected as a poet. However, following the publication of her best known collection Not Waving But Drowning in 1957 she became more widely known. Throughout the 1960s she was increasingly popular in Britain and America, particularly for poetry readings and broadcasts and took delight in reading and even singing her work before live audiences. Seven volumes of her poetry were published between 1937 and 1971, with an eighth published in 1972 after her death.

(Editor of this page: P. T.)

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