author
Basil De Selincourt
1876–1966
A sharp-minded British essayist and journalist, he moved easily between classical scholarship, literary criticism, and cultural commentary. His books on figures such as Giotto, William Blake, and Walt Whitman show a writer drawn to art and ideas with equal energy.
1 Audiobook
Pomona; or, the future of English
by Basil De Selincourt
About the author
Born on August 19, 1876, Basil de Sélincourt was a British essayist and journalist whose career ranged across teaching, criticism, and literary journalism. Early on, he served as Acting Professor of Greek at the University of Sydney and was also president of the Sydney University Union during 1900–1901.
He is best remembered as a man of letters: a critic and essayist with a strong interest in art, poetry, and major literary personalities. Among the works linked with his name are studies of Giotto, William Blake, and Walt Whitman, which suggest the breadth of his interests and his gift for thoughtful interpretation.
His personal life was closely connected with literary circles. He was married first to the orientalist Beryl de Zoete and later to the novelist Anne Douglas Sedgwick; a third marriage, to Julia Sanford Chapin, followed. He died on February 16, 1966, in Gloucestershire, leaving behind the record of a wide-ranging intellectual life.