The English Review
Encyclopedia
The English Review was an English-language literary magazine
published in London
from 1908 to 1937. At its peak, the journal published some of the leading writers of its day.
(later Ford Madox Ford) "in a rage that there was no place in England to print a poem by Thomas Hardy" and as a venue for some of the best writers available. Published in December 1908, the first issue contained original work by Thomas Hardy
, Henry James
, Joseph Conrad
, John Galsworthy
, W.H. Hudson, and H. G. Wells
. Heuffer maintained this level of quality in subsequent issues he edited, publishing the early work of Ezra Pound
, DH Lawrence, and Wyndham Lewis
as well. Yet despite its literary excellence, the new venture was not a financial success. Issued as a monthly magazine of approximately 175 pages and sold for half a crown, The English Review did not exceed a circulation of 1,000 during Heuffer's editorship.
With the magazine struggling, Heuffer sold the magazine after publishing twelve issues to Alfred Mond
. With Hueffer departing as editor, Mond brought in Austin Harrison
as Hueffner's successor. Harrison maintained the high quality of contributors, and broadened the scope of the review to include women writers and writers from abroad. In addition to continuing to print works by Conrad, Lawrence, and Wells, authors such as Sherwood Anderson
, Anton Chekhov
, Herman Hesse, Aldous Huxley
, Katherine Mansfield
, Bertrand Russell
, G. B. Shaw, Ivan Turgenev
, and William Butler Yeats
now appeared in the magazine's pages. Coverage of politics also increased substantially, reflecting Harrison's background as a journalist.
Harrison courted controversy by challenging attitudes towards sexuality when he published works by authors such as Frank Harris
, leading to condemnation in the pages of other journals. Such notoriety boosted circulation, however, as did a subsequent reduction in the magazine's cover price to a shilling. By 1915, the magazine was profitable to the point when Harrison bought out Mond, becoming the owner as well as the editor.
After the First World War, however, the journal began to decline. Harrison sold The English Review in 1923, but subsequent editors took the journal in an increasingly conservative and less literary direction. In 1937, the magazine was absorbed by The National Review
.
Literary magazine
A literary magazine is a periodical devoted to literature in a broad sense. Literary magazines usually publish short stories, poetry and essays along with literary criticism, book reviews, biographical profiles of authors, interviews and letters...
published in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
from 1908 to 1937. At its peak, the journal published some of the leading writers of its day.
History
The magazine was started by 1908 by Ford Madox HuefferFord Madox Ford
Ford Madox Ford was an English novelist, poet, critic and editor whose journals, The English Review and The Transatlantic Review, were instrumental in the development of early 20th-century English literature...
(later Ford Madox Ford) "in a rage that there was no place in England to print a poem by Thomas Hardy" and as a venue for some of the best writers available. Published in December 1908, the first issue contained original work by Thomas Hardy
Thomas Hardy
Thomas Hardy, OM was an English novelist and poet. While his works typically belong to the Naturalism movement, several poems display elements of the previous Romantic and Enlightenment periods of literature, such as his fascination with the supernatural.While he regarded himself primarily as a...
, Henry James
Henry James
Henry James, OM was an American-born writer, regarded as one of the key figures of 19th-century literary realism. He was the son of Henry James, Sr., a clergyman, and the brother of philosopher and psychologist William James and diarist Alice James....
, Joseph Conrad
Joseph Conrad
Joseph Conrad was a Polish-born English novelist.Conrad is regarded as one of the great novelists in English, although he did not speak the language fluently until he was in his twenties...
, John Galsworthy
John Galsworthy
John Galsworthy OM was an English novelist and playwright. Notable works include The Forsyte Saga and its sequels, A Modern Comedy and End of the Chapter...
, W.H. Hudson, and H. G. Wells
H. G. Wells
Herbert George Wells was an English author, now best known for his work in the science fiction genre. He was also a prolific writer in many other genres, including contemporary novels, history, politics and social commentary, even writing text books and rules for war games...
. Heuffer maintained this level of quality in subsequent issues he edited, publishing the early work of Ezra Pound
Ezra Pound
Ezra Weston Loomis Pound was an American expatriate poet and critic and a major figure in the early modernist movement in poetry...
, DH Lawrence, and Wyndham Lewis
Wyndham Lewis
Percy Wyndham Lewis was an English painter and author . He was a co-founder of the Vorticist movement in art, and edited the literary magazine of the Vorticists, BLAST...
as well. Yet despite its literary excellence, the new venture was not a financial success. Issued as a monthly magazine of approximately 175 pages and sold for half a crown, The English Review did not exceed a circulation of 1,000 during Heuffer's editorship.
With the magazine struggling, Heuffer sold the magazine after publishing twelve issues to Alfred Mond
Alfred Mond, 1st Baron Melchett
Alfred Moritz Mond, 1st Baron Melchett PC, FRS , known as Sir Alfred Mond, Bt, between 1910 and 1928, was a British industrialist, financier and politician...
. With Hueffer departing as editor, Mond brought in Austin Harrison
Austin Harrison
Austin Frederic Harrison was a British journalist and editor, best known for his editorship of The English Review from 1909 until 1923.-Early life and career:...
as Hueffner's successor. Harrison maintained the high quality of contributors, and broadened the scope of the review to include women writers and writers from abroad. In addition to continuing to print works by Conrad, Lawrence, and Wells, authors such as Sherwood Anderson
Sherwood Anderson
Sherwood Anderson was an American novelist and short story writer. His most enduring work is the short story sequence Winesburg, Ohio. Writers he has influenced include Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, John Steinbeck, J. D. Salinger, and Amos Oz.-Early life:Anderson was born in Clyde, Ohio,...
, Anton Chekhov
Anton Chekhov
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was a Russian physician, dramatist and author who is considered to be among the greatest writers of short stories in history. His career as a dramatist produced four classics and his best short stories are held in high esteem by writers and critics...
, Herman Hesse, Aldous Huxley
Aldous Huxley
Aldous Leonard Huxley was an English writer and one of the most prominent members of the famous Huxley family. Best known for his novels including Brave New World and a wide-ranging output of essays, Huxley also edited the magazine Oxford Poetry, and published short stories, poetry, travel...
, Katherine Mansfield
Katherine Mansfield
Kathleen Mansfield Beauchamp Murry was a prominent modernist writer of short fiction who was born and brought up in colonial New Zealand and wrote under the pen name of Katherine Mansfield. Mansfield left for Great Britain in 1908 where she encountered Modernist writers such as D.H. Lawrence and...
, Bertrand Russell
Bertrand Russell
Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, OM, FRS was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, historian, and social critic. At various points in his life he considered himself a liberal, a socialist, and a pacifist, but he also admitted that he had never been any of these things...
, G. B. Shaw, Ivan Turgenev
Ivan Turgenev
Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev was a Russian novelist, short story writer, and playwright. His first major publication, a short story collection entitled A Sportsman's Sketches, is a milestone of Russian Realism, and his novel Fathers and Sons is regarded as one of the major works of 19th-century...
, and William Butler Yeats
William Butler Yeats
William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and playwright, and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. A pillar of both the Irish and British literary establishments, in his later years he served as an Irish Senator for two terms...
now appeared in the magazine's pages. Coverage of politics also increased substantially, reflecting Harrison's background as a journalist.
Harrison courted controversy by challenging attitudes towards sexuality when he published works by authors such as Frank Harris
Frank Harris
Frank Harris was a Irish-born, naturalized-American author, editor, journalist and publisher, who was friendly with many well-known figures of his day...
, leading to condemnation in the pages of other journals. Such notoriety boosted circulation, however, as did a subsequent reduction in the magazine's cover price to a shilling. By 1915, the magazine was profitable to the point when Harrison bought out Mond, becoming the owner as well as the editor.
After the First World War, however, the journal began to decline. Harrison sold The English Review in 1923, but subsequent editors took the journal in an increasingly conservative and less literary direction. In 1937, the magazine was absorbed by The National Review
National Review (London)
The National Review was founded in 1883 by the English writers Alfred Austin and William Courthope.It was launched as a platform for the views of the British Conservative Party, its masthead incorporating a quotation of the former Conservative Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli:Under editor Leopold...
.
Editors
- Ford Madox HuefferFord Madox FordFord Madox Ford was an English novelist, poet, critic and editor whose journals, The English Review and The Transatlantic Review, were instrumental in the development of early 20th-century English literature...
(1908-1909) - Austin HarrisonAustin HarrisonAustin Frederic Harrison was a British journalist and editor, best known for his editorship of The English Review from 1909 until 1923.-Early life and career:...
(1909-1923) - Ernest Remnant (1923-1931)
- Douglas Jerrold (1931-1935)
- Wilfrid Hindle (1936)
- Derek Walker-Smith (1936-1937)
External links
- The English Review at The Modernist Journals Project (digital copies of the first fifteen issues of The English Review)