Born Kathleen Mansfield Beauchamp in Wellington, 1888, Katherine Mansfield is considered one of New Zealand’s most significant and enduringly famous authors.
Dubbed the master of the short story, Katherine’s work had much influence on the development of the short story as a literary form and has been translated into more than 25 languages.
Katherine spent her childhood in Wellington before travelling to London in 1903 with her two elder sisters to attend Queen’s College; after finishing her schooling in 1906 she went home to Wellington. Her time at Queen’s College saw her determination to make a career from writing grow; in 1908 she returned to London to develop her skills and expand her horizons. Once there, Katherine became friends with such writers as DH Lawrence, Thomas Hardy, Virginia Woolf, and others; Virginia Woolf is said to have once confessed to being jealous of Mansfield’s writing talents. In 1917, Katherine was diagnosed with extrapulmonary tuberculosis and died in 1923 at the young age of 34.
Katherine published three collections of short stories during her lifetime: In a German Pension, Bliss and Other Stories, and The Garden Party and Other Stories; she also published poetry, and stories and reviews in literary journals. Much of Mansfield’s work features young female narrators questioning their roles in society, particularly gender-based double standards, as well as such themes as love, loneliness, the beauty and power of the natural world, and the nature of time. Katherine is well-remembered for her position as a central figure in British modernism, and her legacy is commemorated most prominently with the Katherine Mansfield Menton Fellowship, one of New Zealand’s foremost literary awards. Her work – including the posthumously published letters and personal correspondence – paints an evocative portrait of a passionate individual dedicated to her craft.
This article was originally published in Issue 32 – Storytellers Assemble. You can purchase this issue and enjoy more enchanting content here.
