Ruth Leon recommends… Virginia Woolf- Essayist, Novelist, Poet

Virginia Woolf

84 years ago this week on 28th March, Virginia Woolf aged 59 took her own life by walking into the River Ouse with stones in her pockets because, having suffered from recurring bouts of mental illness throughout her life, the depression that had been plaguing her intermittently was returning and she was unable to write.

A hugely important figure in the literature of her time, her work survives as a significant contribution to our understanding of the early 20th century and as a major influence on writers, especially women writers, to this day. Amongst other innovations in her work, she pioneered the use of stream of consciousness as a narrative device.
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This is a short illustrated film about her life and work. It helped me to understand Woolf’s importance and gives a simple but informative look at the literary world of her time.

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