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Stella GibbonsEnglish poet and writer
Date of Birth: 05.01.1902
Country:  Great Britain |
Content:
Stella Gibbons: An English Poet and Writer
Stella Dorothea Gibbons was born in 1902 in London, England. She was the eldest of three children, born to Telford Gibbons and Maude Phoebe Standish Williams. Her childhood was spent in Kentish Town, where her father, a doctor, practiced medicine. Stella received her early education at home before attending the North London Collegiate School for Girls.
Early Life and Family
In her autobiographical novel, 'Enbury Heath,' Gibbons writes about her childhood in third person, describing her experiences with her brothers, Lewis and Gerald. She describes her father as a "good doctor but a bad person," while her mother was a weak-willed woman who could not withstand her husband's domineering nature. Despite practicing medicine in a poor London neighborhood and sometimes not accepting payment from his impoverished patients, Telford Gibbons would often unleash his rage upon his wife. He had numerous affairs with governesses and even once threatened Maude with a knife, which became a regular occurrence in the Gibbons household.
When Stella turned 11, her father, who was already addicted to whiskey and opium, frequently threatened to commit suicide, and it was Stella who pleaded with her mother to dissuade him. In 1921, Stella earned a diploma in journalism and found a position at the 'British United Press.' It was during this time, in 1924, that she met Walter Beck, who later became the protagonist in her novel 'Bassett.'
Writing Career and Personal Life
Stella Gibbons was hired by the 'Evening Standard' and later joined the publication 'Lady.' In 1930, she published her poetry collection 'The Mountain Beast,' dedicated to her late mother. Her poems gained admiration, particularly 'The Giraffes' and 'Coverings,' which were praised by the likes of Virginia Woolf.
In 1932, Gibbons published her novel 'Cold Comfort Farm,' which achieved great success and became her most renowned work. She went on to publish over 30 books, including 25 novels, three short story collections, four poetry collections, and a children's book. Gibbons garnered significant respect from her peers, and in 1950, she was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
The outbreak of World War II deeply affected the writer, and she wrote extensively during that period. In 1933, Stella married actor and singer Allan Webb, and they settled in Holly Lodge Estate, Highgate, where she spent the rest of her life. Their daughter, Laura, was born in October 1935. In the same year, Gibbons published her children's book 'The Untidy Gnome,' dedicated to her daughter.
After her husband's death from liver cancer in 1959, Stella retreated from active public life and devoted much of her time to her home and grandchildren. She passed away on December 19, 1989, in London and was buried alongside her husband in Highgate Cemetery.
