Rose Macaulay, sometimes known as Dame Emilie Rose Macaulay, was an English novelist who also published a number of biographies and travel books. She was one of seven children in her family and aspired to be a Navy commander when she was born in England. Her family returned to their birthplace after spending several years in Italy, where she finished her education. She then went to college to study history, where she fell in love with the seventeenth century in particular. She returned to live with her family after finishing her education, and it was during this time that she began to write poetry and prose. After generating various lyrical and non-fictional works, her first successful novel was ‘The Lee Shore,’ which was her sixth try in the fictional genre. She also volunteered as a volunteer during WWI, in addition to writing. She published sarcastic comedies like ‘Potterism’ and ‘Told by an Idiot’ after the war, establishing herself as a clever and insightful novelist. She went on to write some wonderful pieces, but she took a sabbatical from writing after her house was destroyed during WWII and she lost her longtime partner, Gerald O’Donovan. She then made a comeback with a series of travel books and a few novels. ‘The Towers of Trebizond,’ her most recent book, was hailed as the best of her career.
Childhood and Adolescence
Rose Macaulay was born in Rugby, Warwickshire, on August 1, 1881, to George Campbell Macaulay, assistant master of Rugby School, and Grace Mary. She was the second of the family’s seven children. She spent her childhood in Varazze, Italy, on the coast near Genoa, where she grew up as a tomboy with aspirations to join the Navy.
When the family moved back to England in 1894, she enrolled at the Oxford High School for Girls. She went on to study Modern History at Oxford University’s Somerville College. In 1903, Mary returned to Aberystwyth to live with her parents. After her father was offered a lectureship in English at Cambridge, the family relocated to Cambridge.
Career of Rose Macaulay
Emile Rose Macaulay’s first work, ‘Abbots Verney,’ was published in 1906. It was followed by a series of more fictitious works, all of which failed to make an effect. Her first successful work, named ‘The Lee Shore,’ was published in 1912 and won first prize in a competition.
She served as a volunteer medic and a land girl for the British Propaganda Department during World War I. She afterwards worked for the War Office as a civil servant. Rose Macaulay turned to prose after the war, writing a series of sarcastic comedic books that focused on the irrationalities of the time. ‘Potterism,’ her first best-seller, was released in 1920, followed by ‘Dangerous Ages,’ in 1921. ‘Told by an Idiot,’ a satirical novel she published in 1923, was likewise a big hit. She went on to write a number of other works, including ‘Orphan Island’ (1924), ‘Crewe Train’ (1926), and ‘Keeping Up Appearances’ (1927). (1928).
She worked as a novelist, journalist, and essayist, and some of her most serious writings were collected in two collections: ‘A Casual Commentary’ (1925) and ‘Catchwords and Claptrap’ (1926). (1926). She garnered respect and became one of the most important literary characters of her period as a result of her works.
In 1932, she wrote ‘They Were Defeated,’ a historical fiction based on the life of the poet Robert Herrick. ‘Going Abroad’ (1934), ‘Personal Pleasures’ (1935), ‘I Would Be Private’ (1937), and ‘The Writings of E. M. Forster’ (1938) were among Rose Macaulay’s subsequent works (1938). She volunteered as an ambulance driver during WWII, but tragedy struck when her home was destroyed during ‘The Blitz,’ destroying her entire collection and valuables.
She didn’t publish any books during the war, and it wasn’t until 1946 that she returned to writing with ‘They Went to Portugal,’ a collection of travel essays. ‘Evelyn Waugh’ (1946) and ‘Fabled Shore: From the Pyrenees to Portugal By Road’ (1947) followed (1949). She eventually returned to fiction with the 1950 novel ‘The World My Wilderness,’ which was set in the aftermath of WWII. ‘The Towers of Trebizond,’ a hilarious fiction about her eccentric aunt’s quest to convert Muslims in Turkey to Anglicanism, was published in 1956.
Major Projects of Rose Macaulay
‘The Towers of Trebizond,’ Macaulay’s final fictional novel, is often regarded as her most brilliant work. With gloomy humor and deep grief, the novel explores the allure of mystical Christianity, as well as the tension between adulterous love and the duties of the Christian faith.
Achievements & Awards
Rose Macaulay was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1958 New Year’s Honours (DBE).
Personal History and Legacy
She lived her entire life as a spinster, although she had a secret connection with Gerald O’Donovan, an Irish novelist. They first met in 1918, and their relationship lasted until Gerald’s death in 1942. Rose Macaulay died on October 30, 1958, at the age of 77, of a heart attack.
Estimated Net Worth
The estimated net worth of Rose Macaulay is not available .