Society for Pure English

Founded in England in 1913 on the initiative of poet Robert Bridges, the Society for Pure English was a reform-minded association of writers and academics rather than an individual author. Its work was delayed by the First World War, then resumed after the Armistice, with its first issues announced for October 1919.

The society became known for a long-running series of tracts, many years printed and distributed by Oxford University Press. These pamphlets argued against what members saw as careless, inflated, or confusing usage and promoted clarity, precision, and good literary style.

For readers today, the Society for Pure English is interesting both as a historical literary circle and as a window into older debates about language change. Its publications reflect a serious, sometimes stern, but often lively effort to shape how English should sound on the page.