Romer Wilson
Florence Romer Muir Wilson, born on December 16, 1891, in Sheffield, England, was a British novelist and writer who emerged against the backdrop of World War I. Educated at West Heath and Girton College, Cambridge, she initially pursued a law degree but found her passion in writing, spurred on by a professor's encouragement. Her literary career began with the publication of her first novel, *Martin Schüler*, in 1918, after a friend's intervention helped her publish what she had initially discarded. Wilson's work often delved into themes of philosophy, art, and the impact of societal changes, particularly the loss of agrarian life due to industrialization and the emotional toll of the war on human relationships.
Among her notable works is *The Death of Society: Conte de Fee Premier*, which won the Hawthornden Prize despite mixed reviews from critics like Virginia Woolf. In 1923, she published *The Grand Tour*, which was better received and showcased her narrative style. Wilson's literary legacy also includes a biography of Emily Brontë and a collection of short stories released posthumously. Although her work is not widely recognized today, she is remembered for her insightful observations on the human condition and the transformations of society during her time. Wilson passed away from tuberculosis on January 11, 1930.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Romer Wilson
Writer
- Born: December 16, 1891
- Birthplace: Sheffield, England
- Died: January 11, 1930
- Place of death: Lausanne, Switzerland
Biography
Florence Romer Muir Wilson was born in Sheffield, England, on December 16, 1891, to Arthur Muir Wilson, a solicitor, and Amy Letitia Dearden Wilson. At the age of fifteen, she enrolled at West Heath, and she later attended Girton College in Cambridge to study law, graduating in three years. While she was at Girton, one of her professors encouraged her to think about writing. When she left college, she simply hoped to have a pleasant social life like most of the young women of her day. However, Wilson did not get her wish because of the outbreak of World War I. During the war, she went to work for the Ministry of Agriculture, selling potatoes between 1914 and 1918, and she began working on her first novel.
Wilson’s novel, Martin Schüler, was published in 1918. She had discarded the novel, but one of her friends intervened and edited the book, enabling it to be published. Her third novel, The Death of Society: Conte de Fee Premier, was published in 1921, and it won the Hawthornden Prize, although most critics found it overly romantic and without much substance. In fact, fellow author Virginia Woolf called the book trite and unimaginative.
After the war, Wilson spent three weeks in Paris, where she conducted research for an epistolary novel. While she was there, she met American anthologist Edward Joseph H. O’Brien, whom she married in 1923. That same year, she published her epistolary novel, The Grand Tour (published in the United States as The Grand Tour of Alphonse Marichaud). Told in the form of a narrative, the novel received more favorable reviews than her earlier works. Wilson continued to write throughout the remainder of her life, publishing several additional novels and a biography of author Emily Bronte. Wilson died of tuberculosis on January 11, 1930. A collection of her short stories was published posthumously in 1935.
Wilson’s novels have a noticeable philosophical slant. Like other writers of her time, she laments the passing of agrarian life due to industrialization and the destruction of the countryside. Her novels reflect her concern for the devastation to society and personal relationships brought about by the tragic events of World War I. In addition to these themes, she also wrote frequently about art, love, and the nature of personal relationships. Although her work is relatively obscure today, Wilson was at times a keen observer of human nature and society. She enjoyed moments of critical success as well as criticism, and she was notable for her concern about the changes taking place in post-World War I Western civilization.