Valentine Ackland: A Transgressive Life

At last, a biography of Valentine Ackland.

Frances Bingham has written the definitive biography
of this remarkable
cross-dressing woman, poet and activist, recovering an important part of
British lesbian history and creating a testament to queerness and gender
identity in Valentine's transgressive life.

Mrs. Turpin was Valentine Ackland, on the run from her
recent disastrous marriage. She was soon to meet the love of her life, Sylvia Townsend Warner, already a celebrity for her dashing debut
novel Lolly
Willowes. They would live in Dorset
together in a passionate relationship until Valentine's death in 1969.

Valentine was a dedicated poet, deeply involved with
Communism during the 1930s, and an environmentalist and peace campaigner.
Recently released MI5 files show that she was blacklisted for confidential work
during World War II, and remained under long-term surveillance.

Despite her commitment to Sylvia, Valentine had many
affairs with women who fell for her androgynous beauty and her masterful
conduct of an amour. She also struggled with alcoholism, but the relationship with Sylvia
survived all challenges.

"Bingham prompts the reader to keep turning the pages of this well-researched, idiosyncratic, and fascinating biography." - New York Journal of Books

"The cross-dressing Communist lesbian, her closet gay husband ... and a love story like no other." - The Daily Mail

ISBN-13: 9781912766406

Media Type: Paperback

Publisher: Handheld Classics

Publication Date: 05-20-2021

Pages: 270

Product Dimensions: 8.40h x 5.30w x 1.00d

Series: Handheld Biographies

Bingham, Frances: - "Frances Bingham has written the definitive biography of Valentine Ackland, a remarkable cross-dressing woman, poet and activist, recovering an important part of British lesbian history and creating a testament to queerness and gender identity in Valentine's transgressive life. Her biography was published on what would have been Valentine's 115th birthday. Frances writes for live performance and her work often references plays, especially Shakespeare. Alongside writing she has worked in a variety of jobs, including; studio assistant in a country pottery; contemporary ceramics curator and London gallery front-of-house manager, exhibition installer, arts journalist, theatrical script editor, journal-writing workshop tutor. With her partner Liz Mathews she runs Potters' Yard Arts in London; among other projects they collaborate on joint text/image projects, including artist's books which sometimes set Frances' words, and making artists' films (Riversoup, Paper Wings, The Moment That Holds You - shown at Arnolfini Bristol, turnthepage Norwich and Fruitmarket Gallery Edinburgh, among other venues)."