Vera Brittain

Vera Mary Brittain was an English writer, feminist and pacifist. ‘The Dark Tide’ (1923), her first published novel, was not overly successful. However, in 1933 Brittain released, ‘Testament of Youth’, recounting her experiences during the WWI – it became a best-seller. In the 1920’s, Brittain was a member of both the Peace Pledge Union and the Anglican Pacifist Fellowship. She was a practical pacifist, helping the war effort by working as a fire warden and raising funds around the country. Her work lead her to be featured in the ‘Nazi’s Black Book’ (1945), which stated the names of nearly 3,000 people who they thought should be immediately arrested, following a German Invasion during WWII. In November 1966, Brittain fell over on the way to a speaking engagement, from then on her mind and body became increasingly fragile.