Spiritualism and Women s Writing
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Spiritualism and Women s Writing From the Fin de Siècle to the Neo-Victorian Tatiana Kontou
Tatiana Kontou 2009 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2009 978-0-230-20005-0 All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, Saffron House, 6-10 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. The author has asserted her right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. First published 2009 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN Palgrave Macmillan in the UK is an imprint of Macmillan Publishers Limited, registered in England, company number 785998, of Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS. Palgrave Macmillan in the US is a division of St Martin s Press LLC, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010. Palgrave Macmillan is the global academic imprint of the above companies and has companies and representatives throughout the world. Palgrave and Macmillan are registered trademarks in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe and other countries. ISBN 978-1-349-29915-7 ISBN 978-0-230-24079-7 (ebook) DOI 10.1057/9780230240797 This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed and sustained forest sources. Logging, pulping and manufacturing processes are expected to conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. A catalogue record for this book is available from the Library of Congress. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 09
To my parents, grandparents and Sam
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Contents List of Figures Acknowledgements Introduction 1 1 Theatres in the Skull: The Society for Psychical Research and Actress Narratives 15 2 Well-tuned Mediums: May Sinclair and Dorothy Richardson 43 3 Phantasms of Florence Cook in Michèle Roberts In the Red Kitchen 81 4 Natural and Spiritual Evolutions: A. S. Byatt s Angels and Insects 114 5 The Other World Illuminated: Wiring Science, Text and Spirit in Victoria Glendinning s Electricity 147 6 Queering the Séance: Sarah Waters Affinity 172 Conclusion 199 Notes 204 Bibliography 220 Index 237 viii ix vii
Figures 3.1 Spirit photograph of Katie King taken by William Crookes 90 3.2 Florence Cook or Katie King posing with William Crookes 91 3.3 Florence Cook entranced with materializing spirit 94 6.1 Spiritualism Made Useful 192 viii
Acknowledgements This book started its life as a D.Phil. thesis at the University of Sussex. I would, therefore, like to thank first and foremost my supervisor, Professor Jenny Bourne Taylor for her depth of knowledge, endless support and friendship. Warmest thanks are also due to Professor Laura Marcus and Dr Pamela Thurschwell, whose comments, suggestions and faith in this project contributed towards its materialization. In addition, I am grateful to Dr Steph Newell for her invaluable advice on book proposals and positive energy. I am also thankful to Dr George Walter who has been more than generous in allowing me to consult private and un-archived papers on spiritualism. I give special thanks to Dr Corinne François-Denève who introduced me to Florence Marryat s actress novels and, more importantly, has been a very dear friend. At Palgrave Macmillan, I wish to express gratitude to the anonymous reader, to my editor Paula Kennedy, to Christabel Scaife and Steven Hall. I am indebted to the staff at the Senate House, who made the Harry Price Collection available to me; the staff at the University Library, Cambridge, for helping me find my way in the archives of the Society for Psychical Research; and the staff at the British Library. Thanks are also due to Michèle Roberts and Sarah Waters who have been generous in answering my queries. I have been fortunate in having many good friends whose advice, patience and clear-headedness has been a great help to me throughout this adventure. For intellectual stimulus and immense emotional support I thank: Dr Andrew Mangham, Dr Kumiko Kiuchi, Dr Chris Stokes, Christoforos Diakoulakis, Karen Schaller and Susanne Sklepek. Athanasia Kanellopoulou, Voula Tsoulou and Chrysa Vlotis have been the best friends I could ask for, and made writing from the beginning of the thesis to book delivery a less lonely process. I must also express my gratitude and warmest thanks to Mireille Shimoda whose acute editing, eye for detail, support, kindness and friendship made the delivery of this book possible. Finally, I would like to thank my wonderful parents, Maria and Kanakis, who have been endlessly encouraging, supportive and loving. Their generosity and faith in me has been a continuous source of strength. ix
x Acknowledgements None of this would have happened without the love, friendship and help of Dr Sam Thomas who was the psychic force behind this project. If books speak telepathically to us, I need say no more here. The author and publishers wish to thank the following for permission to reproduce copyright material: from Angels and Insects by A. S. Byatt, published by Chatto and Windus. Reprinted by permission of the Random House Group Ltd. For USA rights: copyright A. S. Byatt. Reproduced by permission of the author c/o Rogers, Coleridge and White Ltd, 20 Powis Mews, London W11 1JN; from Electricity by Victoria Glendinning, published by Simon and Schuster; from In the Red Kitchen by Michèle Roberts, published by Minerva. Reprinted by permission of The Random House Group Ltd; from Affinity by Sarah Waters, published by Little Brown Book Group Ltd. For USA rights: copyright 1999 Sarah Waters. Used by permission of Riverhead Books, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. For World rights (excluding UK, Commonwealth, Europe, Canada, USA): copyright Sarah Waters 1999. Reproduced by permission of Greene and Heaton Ltd. Every effort has been made to trace rights holders, but if any have been inadvertently overlooked, the publishers would be pleased to make the necessary arrangements at the first opportunity.