William Sharp (12 September 1855 – 12 December 1905) was a Scottish writer, of poetry and

literary biography When studying literature, biography and its relationship to literature is often a subject of literary criticism, and is treated in several different forms. Two scholarly approaches use biography or biographical approaches to the past as a tool for ...

in particular, who from 1893 wrote also as Fiona Macleod, a pseudonym kept almost secret during his lifetime. He was also an editor of the poetry of

Ossian Ossian (; Irish Gaelic/Scottish Gaelic: ''Oisean'') is the narrator and purported author of a cycle of epic poems published by the Scottish poet James Macpherson, originally as ''Fingal'' (1761) and ''Temora (poem), Temora'' (1763), and later c ...

Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European literature, European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'' (18 ...

Matthew Arnold Matthew Arnold (24 December 1822 – 15 April 1888) was an English poet and cultural critic. He was the son of Thomas Arnold, the headmaster of Rugby School, and brother to both Tom Arnold (academic), Tom Arnold, literary professor, and Willi ...

Algernon Charles Swinburne Algernon Charles Swinburne (5 April 1837 – 10 April 1909) was an English poet, playwright, novelist and critic. He wrote many plays – all tragedies – and collections of poetry such as '' Poems and Ballads'', and contributed to the Eleve ...

and Eugene Lee-Hamilton.

Early life

Sharp was born in Paisley and educated at

Glasgow Academy The Glasgow Academy is a coeducational private day school for pupils aged 3–18 in Glasgow, Scotland. In 2016, it had the third-best Higher level exam results in Scotland. Founded in 1845, it is the oldest continuously fully private school in ...

and the

University of Glasgow The University of Glasgow (abbreviated as ''Glas.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals; ) is a Public university, public research university in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded by papal bull in , it is the List of oldest universities in continuous ...

, which he attended 1871–1872 without completing a degree. In 1872 he contracted

typhoid Typhoid fever, also known simply as typhoid, is a disease caused by ''Salmonella enterica'' serotype Typhi bacteria, also called ''Salmonella'' Typhi. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often ther ...

. During 1874–5 he worked in a Glasgow law office. His health broke down in 1876 and he was sent on a voyage to Australia. In 1878 he took a position in a bank in London.

Career

He was introduced to

Dante Gabriel Rossetti Gabriel Charles Dante Rossetti (12 May 1828 – 9 April 1882), generally known as Dante Gabriel Rossetti ( ; ), was an English poet, illustrator, painter, translator, and member of the Rossetti family. He founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brother ...

by Sir Noel Paton, and joined the Rossetti literary group; which included

Hall Caine Sir Thomas Henry Hall Caine (14 May 1853 – 31 August 1931), usually known as Hall Caine, was a British novelist, dramatist, short story writer, poet and critic of the late 19th and early 20th century. Caine's popularity during his lifetim ...

, Philip Bourke Marston and Swinburne. He married his cousin Elizabeth Sharp in 1884, and devoted himself to writing full-time from 1891, travelling widely. Also about this time, he developed an intensely romantic attachment to Edith Wingate Rinder, another writer of the consciously Celtic Edinburgh circle surrounding

Patrick Geddes Sir Patrick Geddes (2 October 1854 – 17 April 1932) was a Scottish biologist, sociologist, Comtean positivist, geographer, philanthropist and pioneering town planner. He is known for his innovative thinking in the fields of urban plannin ...

and "The Evergreen". It was to Rinder ("EWR") he attributed the inspiration for his writings as "Fiona Macleod" thereafter, and to whom he dedicated his first Macleod novel ("Pharais") in 1894. Sharp had a complex and ambivalent relationship with

W. B. Yeats William Butler Yeats (, 13 June 186528 January 1939), popularly known as W. B. Yeats, was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer, and literary critic who was one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. He was a driving force behind the ...

during the 1890s, as a central tension in the

Celtic Revival The Celtic Revival (also referred to as the Celtic Twilight) is a variety of movements and trends in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries that see a renewed interest in aspects of Celtic culture. Artists and writers drew on the traditions of Gae ...

. Yeats initially found Macleod acceptable and Sharp not, and later fathomed their identity. Sharp found the dual personality an increasing strain. On occasions when it was necessary for "Fiona Macleod" to write to someone unaware of the dual identity, Sharp would dictate the text to his sister (Mary Beatrice Sharp), whose handwriting would then be passed off as Fiona's manuscript.

Hermeticism

During his Macleod period, Sharp was a member of the

Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (), more commonly the Golden Dawn (), was a secret society devoted to the study and practice of occult Hermeticism and metaphysics during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Known as a magical order, ...

. In August 1892, he published what became the only issue of the '' Pagan Review'', in which he, under a set of pen names (including "W. H. Brooks", "W. S. Fanshawe", "George Gascoigne", "Willand Dreeme", "Lionel Wingrave", "James Marazion", "Charles Verleyne", and "Wm. Windover") argued for the establishment of a

neo-paganism Modern paganism, also known as contemporary paganism and neopaganism, spans a range of new religious movements variously influenced by the beliefs of pre-modern peoples across Europe, North Africa, and the Near East. Despite some common simila ...

which would abolish gender inequality. The review was received negatively; among other things, critics wrote that its paganism was far removed from the pagan writings of the ancient world. The '' Saturday Review'' wrote:

Death

He died in 1905 at the ''

Castello di Maniace The Castello di Maniace (or ''Castello Bronte'' and ''Castello dei Nelson'' 'Castle of the Nelsons') is a manor house built on the site of a former ancient monastery 3 km south of the centre of the small village of Maniace and 8 km n ...

'' near Bronte, in Sicily, where he was the guest of Sir Alexander Nelson Hood, 5th Duke of Bronté (1904–1937), and was buried there in the ducal cemetery. He described the duchy and aspects of its history in his ''Attraverso la Ducea Nelson''. In 1910, Elizabeth Sharp published a biographical memoir attempting to explain the creative necessity behind the deception, and edited a complete edition of his works.

The Belgian Revival

Sharp took an early interest in the Belgian avant-garde and disseminated knowledge of

La Jeune Belgique ''La Jeune Belgique'' (meaning ''The Young Belgium'' in English) was a Belgian literary society and movement that published a French-language literary review ''La Jeune Belgique'' between 1880 and 1897. Both the society and magazine were founded b ...

movement in a number of essays published in English-language literary periodicals, including two essays entitled ''La Jeune Belgique'', a biographical and critical essay titled '' Maeterlinck'', a reflection on '' Ruysbroeck and Maeterlinck'' and a review of Gérard Harry's production of '' Princess Maleine'' and '' The Intruder'' (1892). He translated Auguste Jenart's ''The Barbarian'' (1891) into English. His translation of Charles van Lerberghe's ''Les Flaireurs'' was published as ''The Night-Comers'' in ''The Evergreen: A Northern Seasonal: Autumn'' in 1895.

Musical Settings

The poems of Fiona Macleod attracted the attention of composers in the first half of the 20th century as part of the

Celtic Twilight The Celtic Revival (also referred to as the Celtic Twilight) is a variety of movements and trends in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries that see a renewed interest in aspects of Celtic culture. Artists and writers drew on the traditions of Gael ...

movement in the UK and the US. By far the best known setting was the adaptation of the verse drama '' The Immortal Hour'' as the libretto for

Rutland Boughton Rutland Boughton (23 January 187825 January 1960) was an English composer who became well known in the early 20th century as a composer of opera and choral music. He was also an influential communist activist within the Communist Party of Gre ...

's hugely successful opera of the same name, completed in 1914. The opera ran in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

for 216 consecutive performances in 1922, and for a further 160 performances the following year, and was staged in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

in 1926. It was revived at the

Sadler's Wells Theatre Sadler's Wells Theatre is a London performing arts venue, located in Rosebery Avenue, Islington. The present-day theatre is the sixth on the site. Sadler's Wells grew out of a late 17th-century pleasure garden and was opened as a theatre buil ...

in London in 1953. The first recording of the complete work, sponsored by The Rutland Boughton Trust, took place in 1983 and was released the following year by Hyperion Records on CD and as a boxed vinyl set. Other musical settings include: *

Samuel Barber Samuel Osmond Barber II (March 9, 1910 – January 23, 1981) was an American composer, pianist, conductor (music), conductor, baritone, and music educator, and one of the most celebrated composers of the mid-20th century. Principally influenced ...

: ''Two Poems of the Wind'' (1924) *

Arnold Bax Sir Arnold Edward Trevor Bax (8 November 1883 – 3 October 1953) was an English composer, poet, and author. His prolific output includes songs, choral music, chamber pieces, and solo piano works, but he is best known for his orchestral music ...

: ''A Celtic Song Cycle'', (1904) and other songs *

: ''Five Celtic Songs'' (1910)
Songs of Rutland Boughton
', BMS431CD (2005) *

Frederick Delius file:Fritz Delius (1907).jpg, Delius, photographed in 1907 Frederick Theodore Albert Delius (born Fritz Theodor Albert Delius; ; 29 January 1862 – 10 June 1934) was an English composer. Born in Bradford in the north of England to a prospero ...

: ''I-Brasil,'' (1913) * Christopher Edmunds: ''Kye-Song Of Saint Bride'' for soprano, chorus and orchestra (1951) * John Foulds: ''Five Mood Pictures'' (1917) * Norman Fulton: ''Three Songs of Fiona McLeod'' (1962)Chris Sedergreen. ''Three Songs of Fiona McLeod''
/ref> * Charles T. Griffes: ''Three Poems of Fiona MacLeod'' (1918) * Fritz Hart: four volumes of ''Five Songs'', opp. 73 to 77 * Helen Hopekirk: ''Six Poems by Fiona Macleod'' (1907) and other songs *

Herbert Howells Herbert Norman Howells (17 October 1892 – 23 February 1983) was an English composer, organist, and teacher, most famous for his large output of Anglican church music. Life Background and early education Howells was born in Lydney, Gloucest ...

: ''Five Songs for Low Voice and Piano'' * David Moule-Evans: ''Two Celtic Songs'' (1945) * Philip Sainton: ''Leaves, Shadows and Dreams'' * Caroline Holme Walker: ''When the Dew is Falling''

Works

*''Dante Gabriel Rossetti: A Record and Study'' (1882) *''The Human Inheritance, The New Hope, Motherhood and Other Poems'' (1882) *''Sopistra and Other Poems'' (1884); *''Earth's Voices'' (1884) poems *''Sonnets of this century'' (1886) editor *''Sea-Music: An Anthology of Poems'' (1887) *''Life of Percy Bysshe Shelley'' (1887) *''Romantic Ballads and Poems of Phantasy'' (1888) *''Sport of chance'' (1888) novel *''Life of Heinrich Heine'' (1888) *''American Sonnets'' (1889) *''Life of Robert Browning'' (1889) *''The Children of Tomorrow'' (1889) *''Sospiri di Roma'' (1891) poems *''Life of Joseph Severn'' (1892) *''A Fellowe and his Wife'' (1892) *''Flower o' the Vine'' (1892) *'' The Pagan Review'' (1892) *''Vistas'' (1894); *''Pharais'' (1894) novel as FM *''The Gypsy Christ and Other Tales'' (1895) *''Mountain Lovers'' (1895) novel as FM *''The Laughter of Peterkin'' (1895) as FM *''The Sin-Eater and Other Tales'' (1895) as FM *''Ecce puella and Other Prose Imaginings'' (1896) *''Green Fire: A Romance'' (1896) novel as FM *''The Washer of the Ford'' (1896) novel as FM *''Fair Women in Painting and Poetry'' (1896) *''Lyra Celtica: An Anthology of Representative Celtic Poetry'' (1896) * '' The Immortal Hour'', play (1899) as FM *''By Sundown Shores'' (1900) as FM *''The Divine Adventure'' (1900) as FM *''Iona'' (1900) as FM *''From the Hills of Dream, Threnodies Songs and Later Poems'' (1901) as FM; this included the poem "The Lonely Hunter", which contains perhaps MacLeod's most famous line: ''Deep in the heart of Summer, sweet is life to me still, But my heart is a lonely hunter that hunts on a lonely hill.'' This inspired the title of

Carson McCullers Carson McCullers (February 19, 1917 – September 29, 1967) was an American novelist, short-story writer, playwright, essayist, and poet. Her first novel, ''The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter'' (1940), explores the spiritual isolation of misfits ...

' debut novel ''

The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter ''The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter'' (1940) is the debut novel of American author Carson McCullers, who was 23 at the time of publication. It is a Southern Gothic novel about a deaf man named John Singer and the people he encounters in a 1930s m ...

'' *''The Progress of Art in the Nineteenth century'' (1902) *''Wind and wave: selected tales'' (1902) *''The House of Usna'' (1903) play as FM *''Literary Geography'' (1904) *''The Winged Destiny: Studies in the Spiritual History of the Gael'' (1904) as FM and dedicated to Dr John Goodchild *''Where the forest murmurs: Nature essays'' (1906) as FM * ''The Immortal Hour'' (1908) play as FM *''Selected writings'' (1912) 5 Vols. *''The Hills of Ruel, and Other Stories'' (1921) as FM

References

*"William Sharp (Fiona Macleod): A Memoir" (1910, 1912) Elizabeth A. Sharp *''William Sharp: "Fiona Macleod", 1855–1905'' (1970) Flavia Alaya *''The Sexual Tensions of William Sharp: A Study of the Birth of Fiona Macleod, Incorporating Two Lost Works, 'Ariadne in Naxos' and 'Beatrice'" (1996) Terry L. Meyers '' (Sharp's sexual orientation was likely bi-sexual; William Halloran's edition of Sharp's letters ee belowreverses Halloran's earlier revelation that Sharp fathered a child with Edith Rinder).'' * In ''Library of World's Best Literature Ancient and Modern'', Thirty Volumes, Edited by Charles Dudley Warner, R. S. Peale and J. A. Hill, publishers, 1897. In Volume 6 is a section (pp. 3403–3450), devoted to Celtic literature, written by William Sharp and Ernest Rhys.

External links

* * * *
"The Little Book of the Great Enchantment" Biography of William Sharp by Steve Blamires (RJ Stewart Publications 2008)

Guide to the William Sharp Papers
at

The Bancroft Library The Bancroft Library is the primary special-collections library of the University of California, Berkeley. It was acquired from its founder, Hubert Howe Bancroft, in 1905, with the proviso that it retain the name Bancroft Library in perpetuity. ...

The life and Letters of William Sharp and "Fiona Macleod" Edited by William F. Halloran
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sharp, William (Writer) 1855 births 1905 deaths 19th-century Scottish poets 19th-century pseudonymous writers Alumni of the University of Glasgow Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn Literary forgeries Modern pagan writers People educated at the Glasgow Academy Scottish biographers Scottish modern pagans Scottish poets Writers from Paisley, Renfrewshire