Marguerite Radclyffe Hall letters

Typescript copies of love letters and telegrams written by Radclyffe Hall to Evguenia Souline, a Russian emigre nurse with whom she embarked on a passionate affair. The letters cover the years 1934, when Hall met Souline, to 1937 although the affair lasted almost until Hall's death in 1943. Hall wrote to Souline almost daily, usually from her home in Rye, Sussex but also from London and Paris always ending 'Your John'. Her letters detail her obsession with her lover and reveal the emotional impact this relationship had on her life partner, Una Troubridge.

NRA Ref: 32504

Marguerite Radclyffe Hall (1880-1943), poet and author, was said to be one of the most influential lesbian writers of the twentieth century. Her most celebrated work is the 'Well of Loneliness', which caused great controversy when it was published in 1928. Although a lifelong campaigner for homosexual rights she also held deeply conservative views and converted to Catholicism in 1912. In 1918 she began a relationship with sculptor Una Troubridge which was to last for the rest of her life despite the best efforts of Troubridge's husband and Hall's affair with Evguenia Souline in the 1930s.

Sources: http://www.oxforddnb.com and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radclyffe_Hall (accessed 29 July 2008)

The letters have been arranged in date order. Image displayed at Fonds level is MS676/116-117

Open. Access to all registered researchers.

See 'Your John: The Love Letters of Radclyffe Hall' ed. Joanne Glasgow

Please see full catalogue for more information.

Permission to make any published use of any material from the collection must be sought in advance in writing from the Director of Special Collections (email: special-collections@contacts.bham.ac.uk). Identification of copyright holders of unpublished material is often difficult. Special Collections will assist where possible with identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material.

Former location: MSS 11/v/20-22

We hold printed books by Radclyffe Hall in our rare books collection, see the library catalogue at http://findit.bham.ac.uk/ for further information

Associated Materials
Papers of Radclyffe Hall and Una Troubridge are held at the Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas at Austin

Radclyffe Hall's original letters are held at the Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas at Austin. Evguenia Souline's letters to Radclyffe Hall were burnt by Una Troubridge after Hall's death.