Record Number: 19709

---

Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'On my First Communion day, November 21st 1914, I felt nothing at the actual receiving of the sacrament but in reading Francis Thompson's poems that day (my mother had bought them for me not knowing what she was giving me) I found something terrible, sweet and transforming which really did make me draw breath and pant after it...'

Century:

1900-1945

Date:

21 Nov 1914

Country:

England

Time

n/a

Place:

n/a

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

---

Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Antonia White

Age:

Child (0-17)

Gender:

Female

Date of Birth:

31 Mar 1899

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

writer

Religion:

Catholic

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

England

Listeners present if any:
e.g family, servants, friends

n/a

Additional Comments:

christened Eirene Botting

---

Text Being Read:

Author:

Francis Thompson

Title:

[poems]

Genre:

Poetry

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

owned
gift from her mother

---

Source Information:

Record ID:

19709

Source:

Print

Author:

Antonia White

Editor:

Susan Chitty

Title:

Antonia White. Diaries 1926-1957

Place of Publication:

London

Date of Publication:

1991

Vol:

I

Page:

50-1

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

Antonia White, Susan Chitty (ed.), Antonia White. Diaries 1926-1957, (London, 1991), I, p. 50-1, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=19709, accessed: 26 April 2025

---

Additional Comments:

None