Howard Spring
Howard Spring was a Welsh author born on February 10, 1889, in Cardiff, Wales. He grew up in a large, impoverished family, which instilled in him a deep appreciation for literature despite the financial hardships they faced. Leaving school at twelve to support his family, Spring's early career in journalism began as a messenger boy, eventually leading to roles with The South Wales Daily News, The Yorkshire Observer, and The Manchester Guardian. His experiences during World War I, where he served in a clerical position due to physical limitations, heavily influenced his writing.
Spring is best known for his novels that explore the complex impacts of war on individuals and society. Notable works include "O Absalom!" (also known as "My Son, My Son!") and "Fame Is the Spur," both of which delve into themes of moral conflict and disillusionment following conflict. His storytelling often highlights the resilience of human integrity amidst chaos. Spring also wrote children's literature, drama, and nonfiction, showcasing his versatile writing talent. He passed away on May 3, 1965, leaving a legacy of literary works that reflect on the human condition in the face of adversity.
Howard Spring
Welsh-born British novelist, children's literature author, playwright, nonfiction writer, and journalist.
- Born: February 10, 1889
- Birthplace: Cardiff, Wales
- Died: May 3, 1965
- Place of death: Falmouth, Cornwall, England
Biography
Howard Spring was born February 10, 1889, in Cardiff, Wales, to Henry and Mary Stacey Spring. Spring’s father was a gardener and his mother a homemaker. Although desperately poor, living at times on less than a pound per week, Spring’s parents instilled a love of books upon Spring and his four sisters and four brothers.
After the death of his father, Spring left school at twelve years old to work as an errand boy, and later as an office boy for an accountant. He continued to read in his spare time and attended technical school in the evenings. After working for one year, Spring became a messenger boy for The South Wales Daily News and Echo, and eventually worked his way up to becoming a reporter. In 1911 he accepted a position with The Yorkshire Observer, then switched jobs once again, and worked for The Manchester Guardian in 1915.
During the war, Spring joined the Army Service Corps, since he was physically unable to join the army. He performed clerical work at the headquarters in France until 1918, when he returned to his position at The Manchester Guardian. In 1930, he became the book reviewer for The Evening Standard, and relocated to Hampstead. He would remain with the paper until 1939, when his writing successes allowed him to become a full- time professional author. In 1920, Spring married Marion Ursala Pye, and the couple had two sons, David and Michael.
Spring’s first novels, Shabby Tiger, and Rachel Rosing, are set in Manchester during the 1920s. The novels contrast the selfish protagonist Rachel to her generous brother, Moses. Spring’s best-known work, O Absalom!, republished as My Son, My Son!, follows Captain Oliver Essex through war and peace. After the war, Essex kills a man when he becomes financially desperate, and realizes the difference between killing during war and murdering during peace time. The novel is a criticism of the army training men to kill and then discharging them with no decompression period.
Fame Is the Spur again details families torn apart by wars and the devastation and disillusionment such atrocities wreck upon individuals. By the end of the novel, the characters realize there are three truths: good, evil, and the hope that good will conquer evil. Spring’s novel These Lovers Fled Away traces the lives of four friends over three decades, and shows how war affected their lives and how they cope with what has happened.
Spring’s last novel, Winds of the Day, is narrated by Alice Openshaw throughout her life. The story tells of her orphaned upbringing as a servant, her fight for emancipation during an era where few women achieved independence, and her later reflection upon English life between World War I and the 1960s. Howard Spring died May 3, 1965 after suffering a stroke.
Spring’s My Son, My Son! and Fame Is the Spur, were adapted into movies. His ability to show the effects of war on countries and individuals, while always maintaining his characters’ integrity and dignity, was his greatest literary achievement.
Author Works
Children's Literature:
Darkie and Co., 1932
Sampson's Circus, 1936
Tumbledown Dick: All People and No Plot, 1939
Drama:
Jinny Morgan, pb. 1952
Three Plays, pb. 1953
Long Fiction:
Shabby Tiger, 1934
Rachel Rosing, 1935
O Absalom!, 1938 (also known as My Son, My Son!)
Fame Is the Spur, 1940
Hard Facts, 1944
Dunkerleys, 1946
There Is No Armour, 1948
The Houses in Between, 1948
A Sunset Touch, 1953
These Lovers Fled Away, 1955
Time and the Hour, 1957
All the Day Long, 1959
I Met a Lady, 1961
Winds of the Day, 1964
Nonfiction:
Book Parade, 1938
Heaven Lies About Us, 1939
All They Like Sheep, 1940
In the Meantime: Reminiscences, 1942
And Another Thing, 1946
The Autobiography of Howard Spring, 1972
Short Fiction:
Christmas Honeymoon, 1949
Eleven Stories and a Beginning, 1973
Bibliography
"Howard Spring." G. A. Michael Sims, 2016, www.abfar.org.uk/ref/?Author‗notes‗and‗lists:Howard‗Spring. Accessed 21 June 2017. This bookseller's site provides a biographical overview of Spring, as well as a complete list of works in chronological order and associated works.
Simkin, John. "Howard Spring." Spartacus Educational, Aug. 2014, spartacus-educational.com/Jspring.htm. Accessed 21 June 2017. This reference page gives a profile of Spring, including discussion of his career and major works.
Spring, Howard. The Autobiography of Howard Spring. Collins, 1972. Provides insight into Spring's life and career.
Spring, Marion Howard. Howard. Collins, 1967. This memoir by Spring's wife draws from his own autobiographies but adds her own perspectives and recollections of the author.