6 min read
Reading time
1,139
Words
Published
22
Books
2
Awards
Rebecca West, born Cecily Isabel Fairfield on 21 December 1892 in London, earned acclaim as a writer and appeared in the 1981 film Reds. She was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1959 and served as a judge for the inaugural Booker Prize in 1969. West’s decade-long relationship with H.G. Wells produced their son, writer Anthony West, born in 1914. She died in London on 15 March 1983 at age 90.
Names, aliases, and relatives of Rebecca West — birth name, kin, and personal ties.
Rebecca West by the numbers — life, work, and family.
Rebecca West — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.
Born on 21 December 1892 in London to Isabella Campbell Mackenzie and Charles Fairfield, West attended George Watson’s College in Edinburgh. She showed talent for writing early on and later adopted the pen name Rebecca West from a character in Henrik Ibsen’s play Rosmersholm.
Rebecca West appeared as a witness in the 1981 film Reds. Her earlier acting credits include the 1924 short They Forgot to Read the Directions and an episode of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour 1962. As a writer, she received the CBE in 1949 and the DBE in 1959 for services to literature. In 1969, she served as a judge for the first Booker Prize.
Rebecca West married Henry Maxwell Andrews in 1930; they remained married until his death in 1968. She had a decade-long relationship with author H.G. Wells, with whom she had a son, Anthony West, born on 4 August 1914. Her sister was Letitia Fairfield, a doctor and writer. West was also the aunt of writer and television critic Alison Selford.
Rebecca West received the CBE in 1949 and the DBE in 1959 for services to literature. She was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and served as a judge for the inaugural Booker Prize in 1969. Her appearance in Reds introduced her to film audiences. Her literary criticism and novels remain influential.
Every award, honor, and recognition received by Rebecca West — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.
Rebecca West's bibliography — every authored, edited, and co-written book, ranked by edition count.
A wall of memorable lines from Rebecca West — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.
On Style: He Is Every Other Inch a Gentleman.
On Truth: the Trouble About Man Is Twofold. He Cannot Learn Truths Which Are Too Complicated; He Forgets Truths Which Are Too Simple.
Little-known facts about Rebecca West — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.
For ten years, Rebecca West had a relationship with author H.G. Wells. Their son, Anthony West, born on 4 August 1914, also became a writer.
In the 1949 King’s Birthday Honours List, she received the CBE, and in the 1959 Queen’s New Year Honours List, she received the DBE for services to literature.
Rebecca West was the aunt of writer and television critic Alison Selford.
Her professional name came from a character in Henrik Ibsen’s play Rosmersholm.
As one of the judges for the first Booker Prize in 1969, she dominated the panel; Frank Kermode noted that the rest were too scared to disagree. The winning book, Something to Answer For by P.H. Newby, was a compromise.
Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Rebecca West.
Celebrities similar to Rebecca West — same craft, ranked by reach.
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