Origins & Early Life

The Sitwells (Edith Sitwell, Osbert Sitwell, Sacheverell Sitwell), from Scarborough, North Yorkshire and the family seat of Renishaw Hall, were three siblings who formed an identifiable literary and artistic clique around themselves in London in the period roughly 1916 to 1930. This was marked by some well-publicised events, notably Edith's Façade with music by William Walton, with its public debut in 1923. All three Sitwells wrote; for a while their circle was considered by some to rival Bloomsbury, though others dismissed them as attention-seekers rather than serious artists. The first Sitwell venture was the series of Wheels anthologies produced from 1916.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

These were seen either as a counterweight to the contemporary Edward Marsh Georgian Poetry anthologies, or as light 'society verse' collections. They did not really match the Imagist anthologies of the same years, or the modernist wing, in terms of finding poets with important careers ahead of them, but included both Nancy Cunard and Aldous Huxley. Nancy Cunard, Arnold James, V. T. Perowne, Helen Rootham, Edith Sitwell, Osbert Sitwell, Sacheverell Sitwell, Edward Tennant, Iris Tree...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Alexander Prokhorov — Historical peer (Born in 1916) (1916): Soviet physicist renowned for foundational work in quantum electronics and laser development.
• Bernard Lewis — Historical peer (Born in 1916) (1916): Influential historian of Near Eastern Studies, specializing in the history of Islam.
• Alfred von Tirpitz — Historical peer (Died in 1930) (1930): Architect of the modern German battle fleet and naval expansionist.
• Alfred Wegener — Historical peer (Died in 1930) (1930): Pioneering geophysicist known for proposing the theory of continental drift.
• Aaron Spelling — Historical peer (Born in 1923) (1923): Pioneering American producer of hit TV series like Dynasty and Beverly Hills, 90210.
• André Gorz — Historical peer (Born in 1923) (1923): Austrian-French philosopher known for critiques of work and political ecology.