Miranda Seymour

Miranda Seymour
Miranda Seymour
Born	8 August 1948(age 75)
Occupation	Writer, historian, biographer
Period	1975–present
Subject	Women writers, 20th century history
Notable works	In My Father's House,I Used to Live Here Once,Chaplin's Girl,The Bugatti Queen
Notable awards	Pen Ackerley Award
Website
	www.mirandaseymour.com

Miranda Jane Seymour(born 8 August 1948) is an English literary critic, novelist and biographer ofRobert Graves,Mary ShelleyandJean Rhysamong others. Seymour is a Fellow of theRoyal Society of Arts.^[1]She elected to resign from theRoyal Society of Literaturein December 2023.^[2]She was formerly married toAndrew Sinclair,andAnthony Gottleiband is now married to Ted Lynch.^[3]

Early life and education[edit]

Miranda Seymour was two years old when her parents moved intoThrumpton Hall,^[4]the family ancestral home. She detailed her unconventional upbringing in her 2008 memoirIn My Father's House: Elegy for an Obsessive Love(Simon & Schuster,UK^[5]),^[6]which appeared in the US asThrumpton Hall(HarperCollins)^[7]and won the 2008Pen Ackerley Prizefor Memoir of the Year.^[8]

She studied atBedford College, London,now part ofRoyal Holloway, University of London,earning aBAin English in 1981.^[9]

Career[edit]

Seymour began her literary career in 1975 with an historical novel,The Stones of Maggiare.^[10]This was followed by six others concerned with Italy and Greece, includingDaughter of Darkness,about Lucrezia Borgia,^[11]andMedea(1982).^[12]

In 1982, Seymour turned to biography, beginning with a group portrait ofHenry Jamesin his later years, entitledA Ring of Conspirators.^[13]This was followed by biographies ofLady Ottoline Morrell,^[14]Mary Shelley^[15]andRobert Graves,^[16]upon whom she also based a novel,The Telling,^[17]and a radio play,Sea Music.

In 2001, she came across material onHellé Nice,a forgotten French Grand Prix racing driver of the 1930s. After extensive research, Seymour published an acclaimed^[18]book,The Bugatti Queen,^[19]in 2004 about Nice's ultimately tragic life. This was followed by another life of an unconventional woman, that of 1930s film star,Virginia Cherrill.This was also based on a substantial archive in private ownership, and published asChaplin's Girl: The Lives and Loves of Virginia Cherrillin 2009.^[20]

In 2002, Seymour published a book about herbs:A Brief History of Thyme.^[21]Noble Endeavours: Stories from England; Stories from Germanyappeared in September 2013 from Simon & Schuster and was described as being a work of 'unfazed optimism'.^[22]^[23]

Seymour returned to biography withIn Byron's Wake^[24](2018) which covered the lives ofLord Byron's wife and daughter,Annabella MilbankeandAda Lovelace.^[25]^[26]I Used to Live Here Once: The Haunted Life of Jean Rhyswas published by Harper Collins in 2022.^[27]^[28]

Seymour reviews and writes articles for newspapers and literary journals, includingThe Economist,The Times,theTimes Literary Supplement,Spectator,and theNew York Review of Books.

Formerly a Visiting Professor of English Studies at the University of Nottingham Trent,^[29]Seymour is currently theRoyal Literary FundFellow atKing's College London.^[30]

Bibliography[edit]

Fiction[edit]

The Stones of Maggiare: a story of the Sforzas(1975)
Count Manfred: a Gothic tale(1976)
Daughter of Darkness: Lucrezia Borgia(1977)
The Goddess: Helen of Troy(1979)
Madonna of the Island: stories from a village in Corfu(1980)
Medea(1981)
Carrying On(1984)
The Reluctant Devil(1990)
The Summer of '39(1998), published in the UK (1997) asThe Telling

Juvenile fiction

Mumtaz the Magical Cat(1984)
Caspar and the Secret Kingdom(1986)
The Vampire of Verdonia(1986)
Pierre and the Pamplemousse(1989)

Non-fiction

A Ring of Conspirators:Henry Jamesand his literary circle, 1895–1915(1988)
Ottoline Morrell:Life on the Grand Scale(1993)
Robert Graves:Life on the Edge(1995)
Mary Shelley(2001)
A Brief History of Thyme(2002)
The Bugatti Queen: In Search of a Motor-Racing Legend(2004)
In My Father's House(2007);Thrumpton Hallin the US (2008)
Chaplin's Girl: The Life and Loves of Virginia Cherrill(2009)
Noble Endeavours – The Life of Two Countries, England and Germany, in Many Stories(2013)
In Byron's Wake: The Turbulent Lives of Lord Byron's Wife and Daughter: Annabella Milbanke and Ada Lovelace(2018)
I Used to Live Here Once: The Haunted Life of Jean Rhys(2022)

References[edit]

^Faber author biographyRetrieved 26 April 2012.
^Thorpe, Vanessa; Arts, Vanessa Thorpe; Correspondent, Media (27 January 2024)."'Radical moves' at Royal Society of Literature prompt rebellion ".The Observer.ISSN 0029-7712.Retrieved31 March2024.
^Administrator (1 November 2020)."Literary Locations #80: Thrumpton Hall".Nottingham City of Literature.Retrieved18 May2024.
^Quinn, Anthony (11 February 2007)."Daddy, you tyrant".The Observer.ISSN 0029-7712.Retrieved29 March2024.
^Seymour, Miranda (2008).In My Father's House.Simon and Schuster.ISBN 9781471149696.
^Fergusson, James."In My Father's House: Elegy for an obsessive love, by Miranda Seymour".The Independent.
^Mcgrath, Charles (27 July 2008)."House Proud".The New York Times.p. 1.Retrieved11 August2011.
^"Miranda Seymour Wins Ackerley Prze".English Pen. Org.12 June 2008.
^"Royal Holloway, London website",Notable alumni,Royal Holloway, University of London,retrieved31 May2013
^Seymour, Miranda (1975).The Bride of Sforza.Houghton Mifflin.ISBN 978-0-395-20290-6.
^Seymour, Miranda (1977).Daughter of Shadows.Coward, McCann & Geoghegan.ISBN 978-0-698-10784-7.
^Seymour, Miranda (1982).Medea.St. Martin's Press.ISBN 978-0-312-52530-9.
^Seymour, Miranda (1989).A Ring of Conspirators: Henry James and His Literary Circle, 1895-1915.Houghton Mifflin.ISBN 978-0-395-51173-2.
^Seymour, Miranda (2024).Ottoline Morrell: Life on the Grand Scale.HarperCollins Publishers.ISBN 9780008650353.
^Seymour, Miranda (22 February 2018).Mary Shelley.Simon & Schuster UK.ISBN 978-1-4711-7416-2.
^Seymour, Miranda (2003).Robert Graves: Life on the Edge.Scribner.ISBN 978-0-7432-3219-7.
^Seymour, Miranda (18 August 2011).The Telling.Faber & Faber, Limited.ISBN 978-0-571-28152-7.
^"The Bugatti Queen: In Search of a Motor Racing Legend by Miranda".The Independent.24 February 2004.Retrieved18 April2024.
^Seymour, Miranda (9 April 2015).The Bugatti Queen.Simon & Schuster UK.ISBN 978-1-4711-4970-2.
^Seymour, Miranda (5 May 2009).Chaplin's Girl: The Life and Loves of Virginia Cherrill.Simon and Schuster.ISBN 978-1-84737-737-1.
^Seymour, Miranda (2002).A Brief History of Thyme and Other Herbs.John Murray.ISBN 978-0-7195-6327-0.
^Seymour, Miranda (29 August 2013).Noble Endeavours: The life of two countries, England and Germany, in many stories.Simon and Schuster.ISBN 978-1-84737-826-2.
^Davenport-Hines, Richard (26 August 2013)."Noble Endeavours by Miranda Seymour – review".The Guardian.Retrieved26 May2024.
^Seymour, Miranda (22 March 2018).In Byron's Wake.Simon & Schuster UK.ISBN 978-1-4711-3859-1.
^Hughes, Kathryn (28 April 2018)."In Byron's Wake and Ada Lovelace reviews – computing reputations".The Guardian.ISSN 0261-3077.Retrieved18 April2024.
^Cooke, Rachel (18 March 2018)."In Byron's Wake by Miranda Seymour – the Lord's ladies".The Guardian.Retrieved15 June2018.
^Seymour, Miranda (12 May 2022).I Used to Live Here Once: The Haunted Life of Jean Rhys.HarperCollins Publishers.ISBN 978-0-00-835560-9.
^Cooke, Rachel (16 May 2022)."I Used to Live Here Once by Miranda Seymour review – the troubled life of Jean Rhys".The Guardian.ISSN 0261-3077.Retrieved18 April2024.
^"Miranda Seymour".David Higham Associates.Retrieved19 April2024.
^"Introducing our new Royal Literary Fund Fellows for 2023-24 – Centre for Doctoral Studies".blogs.kcl.ac.uk.Retrieved19 April2024.

External links[edit]

Official website
Transcript of interviewwithRamona Koval,The Book Show,ABC Radio National1 April 2007
House ProudBook review ofThrumpton Hall: A Memoir of Life in My Father's Houseby Charles McGrathNew York Times27 July 2008
'The Knife by the Handle at Last'Tim Parksreview ofThrumpton Hall: A Memoir of Life in My Father's HousefromThe New York Review of Books– subscription-based

[1] Faber author biographyRetrieved 26 April 2012.

[2] Thorpe, Vanessa; Arts, Vanessa Thorpe; Correspondent, Media (27 January 2024)."'Radical moves' at Royal Society of Literature prompt rebellion ".The Observer.ISSN 0029-7712.Retrieved31 March2024.

[3] Administrator (1 November 2020)."Literary Locations #80: Thrumpton Hall".Nottingham City of Literature.Retrieved18 May2024.

[4] Quinn, Anthony (11 February 2007)."Daddy, you tyrant".The Observer.ISSN 0029-7712.Retrieved29 March2024.

[5] Seymour, Miranda (2008).In My Father's House.Simon and Schuster.ISBN 9781471149696.

[6] Fergusson, James."In My Father's House: Elegy for an obsessive love, by Miranda Seymour".The Independent.

[7] Mcgrath, Charles (27 July 2008)."House Proud".The New York Times.p. 1.Retrieved11 August2011.

[8] "Miranda Seymour Wins Ackerley Prze".English Pen. Org.12 June 2008.

[9] "Royal Holloway, London website",Notable alumni,Royal Holloway, University of London,retrieved31 May2013

[10] Seymour, Miranda (1975).The Bride of Sforza.Houghton Mifflin.ISBN 978-0-395-20290-6.

[11] Seymour, Miranda (1977).Daughter of Shadows.Coward, McCann & Geoghegan.ISBN 978-0-698-10784-7.

[12] Seymour, Miranda (1982).Medea.St. Martin's Press.ISBN 978-0-312-52530-9.

[13] Seymour, Miranda (1989).A Ring of Conspirators: Henry James and His Literary Circle, 1895-1915.Houghton Mifflin.ISBN 978-0-395-51173-2.

[14] Seymour, Miranda (2024).Ottoline Morrell: Life on the Grand Scale.HarperCollins Publishers.ISBN 9780008650353.

[15] Seymour, Miranda (22 February 2018).Mary Shelley.Simon & Schuster UK.ISBN 978-1-4711-7416-2.

[16] Seymour, Miranda (2003).Robert Graves: Life on the Edge.Scribner.ISBN 978-0-7432-3219-7.

[17] Seymour, Miranda (18 August 2011).The Telling.Faber & Faber, Limited.ISBN 978-0-571-28152-7.

[18] "The Bugatti Queen: In Search of a Motor Racing Legend by Miranda".The Independent.24 February 2004.Retrieved18 April2024.

[19] Seymour, Miranda (9 April 2015).The Bugatti Queen.Simon & Schuster UK.ISBN 978-1-4711-4970-2.

[20] Seymour, Miranda (5 May 2009).Chaplin's Girl: The Life and Loves of Virginia Cherrill.Simon and Schuster.ISBN 978-1-84737-737-1.

[21] Seymour, Miranda (2002).A Brief History of Thyme and Other Herbs.John Murray.ISBN 978-0-7195-6327-0.

[22] Seymour, Miranda (29 August 2013).Noble Endeavours: The life of two countries, England and Germany, in many stories.Simon and Schuster.ISBN 978-1-84737-826-2.

[23] Davenport-Hines, Richard (26 August 2013)."Noble Endeavours by Miranda Seymour – review".The Guardian.Retrieved26 May2024.

[24] Seymour, Miranda (22 March 2018).In Byron's Wake.Simon & Schuster UK.ISBN 978-1-4711-3859-1.

[25] Hughes, Kathryn (28 April 2018)."In Byron's Wake and Ada Lovelace reviews – computing reputations".The Guardian.ISSN 0261-3077.Retrieved18 April2024.

[26] Cooke, Rachel (18 March 2018)."In Byron's Wake by Miranda Seymour – the Lord's ladies".The Guardian.Retrieved15 June2018.

[27] Seymour, Miranda (12 May 2022).I Used to Live Here Once: The Haunted Life of Jean Rhys.HarperCollins Publishers.ISBN 978-0-00-835560-9.

[28] Cooke, Rachel (16 May 2022)."I Used to Live Here Once by Miranda Seymour review – the troubled life of Jean Rhys".The Guardian.ISSN 0261-3077.Retrieved18 April2024.

[29] "Miranda Seymour".David Higham Associates.Retrieved19 April2024.

[30] "Introducing our new Royal Literary Fund Fellows for 2023-24 – Centre for Doctoral Studies".blogs.kcl.ac.uk.Retrieved19 April2024.

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