the experience of reading in Britain, from 1450 to 1945...

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Freya Stark : Letters from Syria

'Meeting held at 22 Cintra Avenue 4th September 1943 F. E. Pollard in the chair.
1. The minutes of the last meeting were read and approved.
[...]
6. Edith Smith opened the evening of miscellaneous readings by reading part of a short story “The Man with No Face” by Dorothy Sayers. She left the murder mystery tantalizingly unsolved, but gave us a clever and amusing picture of the occupants rightful and encroaching of a 1st-class railway carriage.
7. Mary Stansfield read from a collection of letters written by Freya Stark entitled “Letters from Syria”. These were written some years ago in an atmosphere of peace & tranquility. A particularly beautiful description of the writer’s first sight of the Greek Islands recalled to F. E. Pollard his voyage there with Charles Stansfield, about which he gave us some interesting and amusing reminiscences.
8. Arnold Joselin Read Boswells account of his first meeting with Johnson and then “My Streatham Visit” by Frances Burney in which she describes meeting Johnson at Thrale Hall and records some of the conversation at the dinner table.
9. [...] we listened to F. E. Pollard reading about “The Functional Alternative” from a pamphlet published by the Royal Institute of International Affairs entitled “A Working Peace System” by David Mitrany. The author suggests that in Post-War Europe we should pursue a line of action similar to that adopted by President Roosevelt in America in 1932/33. This started a lively discussion during which it became apparent that federal union does not function in the Pollard family.
10. Reverting to more tranquil times Howard Smith read from André Maurois’ “Life of Disraeli”. This led to the suggestion that Parliamentary speeches of today might be improved if they contained more personal venom & we were assured that Eleanor Rathbone is doing her best to liven things up.
11. Muriel Stevens read from The Autobiography of a Chinese Girl” by Hsieh Ping- Ying. This proved to be a suitably soothing and uncontroversial ending to a most varied and interesting evening.

[signed as a true record by] Howard R. Smith 6/10/1943 [at the club meeting held at Frensham: see Minute Book, p. 161]'

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Mary S. Stansfield      Print: Book

Freya Stark : Baghdad Sketches

We woke up to-day to see the coast of Yemen, the Indian Ocean very blue, and were presently sailing into the bay of Aden. As I went into the saloon for passports, Mr. Longrigg brought up a nice- looking enthusiastic young man who had been reading 'Baghdad Sketches' (the old one) and welcomed me most cordially. His name is Perowne and is political here, and keen to dig and ready to give all help and encouragement — so pleasant.

Century: 1900-1945     Reader/Listener/Group: Stewart Henry Perowne      Print: Book

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