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An acclaimed biography of poet, pacifist and political firebrand Eva Gore-Booth.
The Irish poet and activist Eva Gore-Booth (1870–1926) led a life defiantly at odds with her aristocratic origins. Choosing to live and work among the poor of Manchester, she campaigned on behalf of barmaids, circus performers, flower sellers and pit-brow lasses, her partner, Esther Roper, at her side.
Gore-Booth was tireless in her pursuit of justice. She was a militant pacifist during the First World War, a champion of Irish independence and a pioneering thinker on gender and sexuality. She was also a prolific author, publishing nineteen volumes of poetry and prose that reflect the full force of her radical convictions.
Featuring a new preface that situates Gore-Booth’s life and work in the context of our current political climate, this biography reclaims her place as a significant figure of Anglo–Irish letters and an unsung hero of LGBT+ history.
‘We are all so indebted to Sonja Tiernan... Eva Gore-Booth’s extraordinary path of engagement is one that remains deeply inspiring to us today.’
Michael D. Higgins, President of Ireland
'Readers in the many fields where Eva Gore-Booth matters — social justice, pacifism, feminism, early twentieth-century Irish and British life and literature, love between women and the radical interrogation of gender — will welcome this biography's reissue on the centenary of her death. Sonja Tiernan, who has edited volumes of Gore-Booth’s poetry and political writings, is the preeminent expert on this fascinating activist and woman of letters.'
Emma Donoghue, author of The Wonder
‘A well-researched and illuminating first full biography.’
Caitriona Crowe, Irish Times
‘Sensational anecdotes and quirky details abound… [a] magisterial and definitive study.’
Maureen O’Connor, New Hibernia Review
‘A deeply researched, important and readable account of Gore-Booth's life which links many of the issues of her day.’
Carla King, Irish Literary Supplement
‘A vast body of material from private collections and state archives has been used to uncover this remarkable life history.’
Lissadell House official website
‘There is much here of interest to those keen on the politics of the labour movement and women's suffrage.’
Jad Adams, The Oldie
‘A vivid picture of an independent spirit, who found personal happiness and a political programme in her relationship with another woman.’
Deirdre Toomey, Yeats Annual
‘This lively biography brings [Eva Gore-Booth] out of her older sister’s shadow.’
History Ireland
‘A comprehensive and enthralling book.’
Olivier Coquelin, The European Legacy
Preface to the anniversary edition
Introducing the Gore-Booth family
1 Life in the big house: childhood and Lissadell
2 A pair of oddities: meeting Esther Roper
3 The birth of a rebel: social reform in Manchester
4 Sadder and wiser women: Lancashire trade unions
5 Women who kick, shriek, bite and spit: suffragists and suffragettes
6 Defending barmaids: legislative proposals and Winston Churchill
7 World War One: from trade unionism to peace movements
8 Conscientious objectors and revolution: world war and an Irish rebellion
9 Roger Casement and the aftermath of the Easter Rising
10 Prison reform and military conscription in Ireland
11 Radical sexual politics and post-war religion
12 Final years
Afterword
Index