Description

Available for pre-order until the end of October

Until now, Nancy Sharp has been a quicksilver figure in art and literary history, flitting in and out of the stories of the more famous men in her life. She played the part of friend, lover, wife, muse to William Coldstream, Louis MacNeice, W.H Auden and Michael Spender, inspiring poetry, books and paintings. Still, these brief glimpses do not do justice to a mercurial, brilliant artist. 

In a ground-breaking book, Christopher Fauske, author of Louis MacNeice: In A Between World, puts Sharp centre stage and shows this gifted artist with all her flaws. Running from a conventional upbringing, Nancy strove to become a great painter, but found her wings clipped by marriage and motherhood. It was World War II that gave Nancy a chance to shine when she joined the London Auxiliary Ambulance Service, and she showed how brave a woman could be in the face of fire and blood. The social upheaval caused by two World Wars gave Nancy a chance to redefine herself and become more than the wife and mother society expected her to be. 

Trying to live a life without compromise came at a terrible personal cost to her mental health and her relationships with her children. Nancy was unable to live peacefully in her roles as wife and mother while maintaining her identity as an artist. 

For the first time, Christopher Fauske brings Nancy out of the shadows. He showcases her brilliance and talent while exploring her complex relationships through her letters, diaries, and interviews with her family.