You haven’t heard of Elizabeth von Arnim? Then read all about this amazing woman, a champion of women’s rights, in The Countess from Kirribilli by Joyce Morgan.
Born in Kirribilli, Sydney, Australia in 1866, Elizabeth left for England at the age of three with her family.
In 1889, Mary, as she had been christened, and her father went to Italy, where Elizabeth could pursue her passion for organ playing and opera. There she met Count Henning August von Arnim-Schlagenthin, a Prussian aristocrat, who she married in 1891. They moved to his country estate near the Baltic Sea. There, Elizabeth had five children, and began writing. Henning died, and Elizabeth returned to London, and built a chalet in Switzerland. She is rumoured to have had many lovers, including HG Wells. In 1900 she married Earl Russell, Bertrand Russell’s older brother. A tempestuous marriage; she left him, but never divorced. During her time in Switzerland, Elizabeth connected with her Australian cousin, author Katherine Mansfield.
Elizabeth spent her time in literary circles between England, Switzerland and France until World War Two, during which she went to America, where three of her children lived. Her other two lived in Germany. One died there.
Elizabeth wrote fifteen books, notable for their depiction of men at their worst with women and the importance of the place and strength of women in society. Much of her material was drawn from her own experiences.
The Countess from Kirribilli is a powerful biography of a spirited, intelligent woman living in Europe at turbulent time in its history.
-Pam Halliburton, Chair, RRL Advisory Committee
