BRITTAIN, Vera.

Inquire · Offered by Peter Harrington

Autograph letter signed, to the illustrator Nicholas Bentley. An unpublished letter, expressing gratitude for admiration of the recently published Testament of Youth. From her Chelsea address, Brittain conveys appreciation for her younger audience, especially since their generation did not experience the First World War. She hopes that modern youth could develop "a new courage, better directed than ours, and a new faith".Testament of Youth was published in August 1933 to widespread acclaim, selling thousands of copies before the end of the year. Nicholas Bentley (1907-1978), who in 1939 illustrated T. S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, presumably sent Brittain a letter of praise in early September. Her reply was written during a brief return to London during a lecture tour of the United Kingdom. In it, Brittain reflects on Testament of Youth, describing the conflict between her rectitude to produce an autobiography and her desire to tell the stories of "the lost lives of others".Although Brittain's letter implies her unhappiness at the political state of Europe, she expresses hope for the younger generation's "intelligent knowledge of affairs" and "refusal to be exploited". She is also supportive of her correspondent's artistic work, admiring his "delicious drawings" and assuring him that they have brought her "great joy".

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