Nancy Clare Cunard (Nancy Clare Cunard)

Nancy Clare Cunard

British writer, editor, poet, publisher. Nancy Clare Cunard was the only child of Sir Bache Cunard, of the shipping family and American heiress, Maud Alice Burke (1872-1948). Her parents separated in 1910. She had been brought up at the Leicestershire family estate and moved to London with her mother. Her education was at various boarding schools, including time in France & Germany. She was married during World War I to British Army Officer Sydney Fairbairn for 2 years before they separated. In 1920, she moved to Paris, France. Her poetry first appeared in magazines in 1916 and 3 volumes of poetry followed: “Outlaws,” “Sublunary,” and “Parallax,” a book published by Virginia and Leonard Woolf. In 1928, she founded “Hours Press” in Normandy, France that published writers such as Richard Aldington, Louis Aragon, George Moore, Robert Graves, Ezra Pound and Samuel Beckett. She and African-American musician, Henry Crowder moved to Austria where she wrote the pamphlet, “Black Man and White Ladyship.” She also published “Negro,” an anthology of African-American art. On the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, she went to Spain where she wrote for the Manchester Guardian. In 1937, she polled British writers on their attitudes and published their comments in the booklet, “Authors Take Sides.” She joined Sylvia Townsend Warner and Mary Valentine Ackland as part of the British delegation to the Second Congress of the International Association of Writers for the Defence of Culture in Madrid in 1937. Later work by her included “Norman Douglas” (1954) and “George Moore” (1956). After her death “These Were the Hours” was published in (1969). She was also at that time on the edge of “The Coterie,” associating in particular with Iris Tree. She also contributed to the Sitwell anthology “Wheels.” She died of natural causes alone at a Paris hospital. (bio by: Genet)  Family links:  Parents:  Bache Edward Cunard (1851 – 1925)  Maud Alice Burke Cunard (1872 – 1948)

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Born

  • March, 10, 1896
  • United Kingdom
  • London, England

Died

  • March, 03, 1965
  • Paris, France

Cemetery

  • Cimetière du Père Lachaise
  • Paris, France

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