KIPLING WRITES AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR KIPLING (Rudyard, 1865-1936, Novelist & Poet)

Fine Typed letter signed in full to ‘Dear Sybil’ thanking her for her “letter and for your news which I am glad to have, although I am sorry it is not better. I know that you will understand that letter-writing is outside the possibilities these days; we are all so hard at work. I though of you when I was At Dartmouth. I was only there twenty-four hours; I went for a certain purpose and returned directly I achieved it. Trix is still at Jersey, and the news is about the same. I have, myself, some hope that the war may serve to rouse here a little...”, 1 side 4to., Bateman’s, Burwash, Sussex headed paper, 22nd August

Sybil Heeley was the daughter of Wilfred Lucas Heeley (Kipling used to spell the surname Healey). He had been a schoolfriend of Edward Burne-Jones in Birmingham and had been engaged to Kipling's aunt Caroline. Trix is Kipling’s younger sister Alice.
At the beginning of the First World War, like many other writers, Kipling wrote pamphlets and poems enthusiastically supporting the UK war aims of restoring Belgium, after it had been occupied by Germany, together with generalised statements that Britain was standing up for the cause of good. In September 1914, Kipling was asked by the government to write propaganda, an offer that he accepted. In 1914, Kipling was one of 53 leading British authors – a number that included H. G. Wells, Arthur Conan Doyle and Thomas Hardy – who signed their names to the "Authors' Declaration." This manifesto declared that the German invasion of Belgium had been a brutal crime, and that Britain "could not without dishonour have refused to take part in the present war."

Item Date:  1914

Stock No:  42020      £850

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