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Annie BryherNovelist
Date of Birth: 02.09.1894
Country:  Great Britain |
Content:
- Early Life and Travel
- International Connections and Relationships
- Marriages
- Literary Contributions
- Swiss Residence and Wartime Efforts
- Later Years and Legacy
Early Life and Travel
Annie Winifred Ellerman was born in Margate, England, in 1894. She was the illegitimate daughter of John Ellerman, a wealthy shipowner and financier. As a child, she traveled extensively to France, Italy, and Egypt. When she was 14, her parents married. During one of her travels, she visited the Isles of Scilly and took on the pseudonym "Bryher" from the name of her favorite island.
International Connections and Relationships
As an adult, Bryher spent time abroad and befriended many notable figures of the time, including Havelock Ellis, Sigmund Freud, Norman Douglas, James Joyce, André Gide, Gertrude Stein, Sylvia Beach, Berenice Abbott, and Ernest Hemingway. During her travels between the World Wars, she was often accompanied by the American poet Hilda Doolittle (H.D.), the founder of Imagism. Bryher and H.D. became lovers.
Marriages
Bryher married American gay writer Robert McAlmon in 1921 in a marriage of convenience. However, they divorced in 1927. The same year, Bryher married for a second time, to Kenneth Macpherson, author of a novel about male homosexuality.
Literary Contributions
One of Bryher's significant works is "The Film Industry in Soviet Russia" (1929). She also helped promote Sergei Eisenstein to English audiences. After World War II, Bryher published several historical novels and her autobiography, "The Heart to Artemis" (1963).
Swiss Residence and Wartime Efforts
During World War II, Bryher and Gertrude Stein's companion Alice Toklas assisted Jewish refugees in escaping from the Nazis. Bryher lived in Switzerland during this time, where H.D. wrote poetry and Bryher worked on historical novels. She left her husband in 1947.
Later Years and Legacy
Bryher died in Vevey, Switzerland. Her work in promoting Soviet cinema and her literary contributions continue to be recognized.
