British novelist, critic and journalist whose prolific literary criticism portrayed her belief that the artist should seek and display truth through human experience. She was created a dame of the English realm in 1959.
Precocious and curious, she grew up a rebel in a world that prized rebellion. She had a sister she was devoted to all her life. Between the ages of five and eight, she listened as her father, a conservative, brought home revolutionists for debate. Born of Scots-Irish parentage, educated in Edinburgh, Scotland and the Academy of Dramatic Art in London, she spent a short time on stage and at 19 took the name of a feminist character in Ibsen’s play “Rosmersholm.”
In 1911 West started to contribute to the left-wing press joining the staff of the feminist paper “Freewoman,” resigning after four months to become lead writer on the socialist magazine “Clarion” and for newspapers. A fervent anticommunist, she believed every nation had a right to work out its own destiny. Her first novel, “Return of the Soldier” was published in 1918. She is perhaps best known for her reports on the Nuremberg war trials and a pro-Serbian travel diary, “Black Lamb and Grey Falcon,” published in 1940, giving an account of her travels in Yugoslavia. Her last work, “Survivors In Mexico,” begun in the late 1960’s, was never completed due to her failing health. With a passion for beauty, she wrote of artistic endeavors, giving them life and with a love of law cases and government documents, she brought them to life as well.
After writing an essay criticizing H.G. Wells, West was seduced by him in retaliation commencing a turbulent ten-year affair. Their son Anthony West was born 8/05/1914, later becoming a novelist and critic. She married banker Henry Maxwell Andrews in the fall of 1930 and they remained married until his death .
She died in London 3/15/1983.
Link to Wikipedia biography