Wendy Walker, County Archivist, writes: This diary, compiled by the author and journalist Hugh de Sélincourt for his lover, the German translator and writer Eva Schumann, is written with fluency and writerly skill, conveying the day-to-day uncertainties and privations of the Phoney War, set against a complicated personal and domestic backdrop. The diary touches on a number of key themes – the war, which casts a shadow over the diary, the relationship with the absent Eva Schumann, cricket and de Sélincourt’s domestic life, which appears to have been a comfort to him at such an uncertain time. The diary also contains de Sélincourt’s reflections on his friendship with Havelock Ellis and affair with Margaret Sanger.
Part of the diary’s significance lies in de Sélincourt’s detailed descriptions of life at this early stage of the Phoney War, from gas-proofing the house to a remarkable description of the blackout in London which vividly bring these experiences to life. The reality of war, including seeing German planes on the south coast of England, is in marked contrast to the generally sedate nature of de Sélincourt’s domestic life, with trips to Worthing, work in the garden, and interactions with family members and pets described in detail. The birth of his first grandchild, Phillip, is a counterpoint to the destruction and horrors of the war. The diary also offers an insight into the challenges of communicating with loved ones in Germany - de Sélincourt relied on an intermediary in Holland (‘Ada’) to get letters to and from Eva.
The diary [Acc 20667] provides a microcosm of life in West Sussex at a time of great fear and uncertainty. It sheds fresh light on de Sélincourt’s personal life and his relationship with key figures in it. It is likely to be of interest to researchers on a variety of topics, including the life of de Sélincourt, the Second World War in the south of England, rural and domestic life in the late 1930s and attitudes to Germany and the war.
The diary will be added to the de Sélincourt archive at WSRO, where it will fill a crucial gap in the existing series of de Sélincourt’s diaries dating from 1938 to 1948. Thanks to the generous grant from the Friends of the National Libraries and support from the ACE/V&A Purchase Grant Fund, the diary can now be consulted alongside other material from the de Sélincourt archive, creating an enhanced resource for researchers.
