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Janet Buchanan Adam Smith OBE (9 December 1905 – 11 September 1999) was a Scottish writer, editor, literary journalist, and champion of Scottish literature. She was active from the 1930s through to the end of the century. Leonard Miall wrote: "Biographer, mountaineer, critic, literary editor, textual scholar, comic versifier, visiting professor, hostess, anthologist, traveller – there seemed to be nothing at which Janet Adam Smith did not shine. And she shone with an intensity that made others glow in response".


Family background and education

She was born into the old Scots intellectual elite. Her father, Sir George Adam Smith FBA (1856–1942), was a Biblical scholar, Professor of Hebrew and Old Testament exegesis, at the Free Church College in Glasgow, and then, from 1909 to 1935, Principal of Aberdeen University. Her mother was Lilian Adam Smith, daughter of Sir George Buchanan, FRS, in whose honour the
Royal Society The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...
's Buchanan Medal was created. In 1919, Janet went to
Cheltenham Ladies' College Cheltenham Ladies' College (CLC) is a private schools in the United Kingdom, private boarding and day school for girls aged 11 or older in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. The school was established in 1853 to provide "a sound academic edu ...
, and in 1923 went on to
Somerville College Somerville College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. It was founded in 1879 as Somerville Hall, one of its first two women's colleges. It began admitting men in 1994. The college's liberal tone derives from its f ...
, Oxford, where she read English, graduating in 1926.


Family life

In 1935 she married Michael Roberts, who was a poet, critic, editor, mathematician, and, like her, a passionate mountaineer. Roberts's anthologies of contemporary verse had already established him as, in
T.S. Eliot Thomas Stearns Eliot (26 September 18884 January 1965) was a poet, essayist and playwright.Bush, Ronald. "T. S. Eliot's Life and Career", in John A Garraty and Mark C. Carnes (eds), ''American National Biography''. New York: Oxford University ...
's phrase, "expositor and interpreter of the poetry of his generation". They lived in
Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne, or simply Newcastle ( , Received Pronunciation, RP: ), is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is England's northernmost metropolitan borough, located o ...
(where he taught at the Royal Grammar School), then from 1939 in Penrith (where the school was evacuated during the war). In 1945 the family moved to London, where Michael Roberts had become Principal of the College of St Mark and St John, in Chelsea (which later moved to
Plymouth Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...
and became the University of St Mark & St John). They had four children: Andrew Roberts, Professor of the History of Africa at the
University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a collegiate university, federal Public university, public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The ...
, b. 1937; Henrietta Dombey, Professor of Literacy in Primary Education at the
University of Brighton The University of Brighton is a public university based in Brighton on the south coast of England. Its roots can be traced back to 1858 when the Brighton School of Art was opened in the Royal Pavilion. It achieved university status in 1992. T ...
, b. 1939; Adam Roberts, Professor of International Relations at
Oxford University The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...
, b. 1940; and
John Roberts John Glover Roberts Jr. (born January 27, 1955) is an American jurist serving since 2005 as the 17th chief justice of the United States. He has been described as having a Moderate conservatism, moderate conservative judicial philosophy, thoug ...
, writer on energy issues and Middle East politics, b. 1947. Michael Roberts died on 13 December 1948. Shortly after, the family moved to a house in the
Notting Hill Notting Hill is a district of West London, England, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Notting Hill is known for being a wikt:cosmopolitan, cosmopolitan and multiculturalism, multicultural neighbourhood, hosting the annual Notting ...
area of London, which remained her home until her death in 1999. In 1965, she married John Dudley Carleton, headmaster of
Westminster School Westminster School is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Westminster, London, England, in the precincts of Westminster Abbey. It descends from a charity school founded by Westminster Benedictines before the Norman Conquest, as do ...
from 1957 to 1970. He died on 6 November 1974. Janet died on 11 September 1999 and is remembered on her parents' grave in
Currie Currie is a village and suburb on the outskirts of Edinburgh, Scotland, situated south west of the city centre. Formerly within the County of Midlothian, it now falls within the jurisdiction of the City of Edinburgh Council. It is situated be ...
churchyard, southwest of Edinburgh. The grave stands in the north-east corner of the modern cemetery extension south of the church.


Career and writing

She joined the BBC in 1928, and from 1930 to 1935 was assistant editor of '' The Listener''. As assistant editor, she dealt with articles on art, selected reviewers for literary books, and published new poetry, especially the work of W.H. Auden,
Stephen Spender Sir Stephen Harold Spender (28 February 1909 – 16 July 1995) was an English poet, novelist and essayist whose work concentrated on themes of social injustice and the class struggle. He was appointed U.S. Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry ...
,
Herbert Read Sir Herbert Edward Read, (; 4 December 1893 – 12 June 1968) was an English art historian, poet, literary critic and philosopher, best known for numerous books on art, which included influential volumes on the role of art in education. Read wa ...
,
Louis MacNeice Frederick Louis MacNeice (12 September 1907 – 3 September 1963) was an Irish poet, playwright and producer for the BBC. Known for its exploration of introspection, empiricism, and belonging, his poetic work is now ranked among the twentieth ...
and Michael Roberts. Her work at ''The Listener'' has been widely praised. Dr Kate Murphy, Senior Lecturer in History at Bournemouth University, has said of Janet Adam Smith that "her six years on ''The Listener'' were without question of huge import to the journal and she left a legacy that was remembered for decades to come." In 1935, she published ''Poems of Tomorrow'', an anthology of poems from ''The Listener'', and in 1936 succeeded Michael Roberts as chief reviewer of poetry in T.S. Eliot's quarterly ''The Criterion''. Between 1936 and 1939 she wrote over a hundred reviews for London weeklies, of books by Scots writers or on Scottish subjects. Finding herself with three small children in Penrith during the war, while Michael worked in London for the BBC's European Service, she wrote ''Mountain Holidays'' (1946; reissued 1996), in which she recalled pre-war climbs in Scotland and the Alps. In London from 1945 onward, she continued to write and edit. To the series ''Britain in Pictures'', she contributed ''Life among the Scots'' (1946) and ''Children's Illustrated Books'' (1948). Her short biography (1937) had already established her as an authority on
Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as ''Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll ...
. She now edited the correspondence between Stevenson and
Henry James Henry James ( – ) was an American-British author. He is regarded as a key transitional figure between literary realism and literary modernism, and is considered by many to be among the greatest novelists in the English language. He was the ...
(1948) and prepared a scholarly edition of Stevenson's collected poems (1950), both published by
Rupert Hart-Davis Sir Rupert Charles Hart-Davis (28 August 1907 – 8 December 1999) was an English publisher and editor. He founded the publishing company Rupert Hart-Davis Ltd. As a biographer, he is remembered for his ''Hugh Walpole'' (1952), as an editor, ...
. In 1948, left a widow with four young children to educate, she returned to a salaried position in journalism, becoming first assistant literary editor (1949–52), then literary editor (1952–60), of the ''
New Statesman ''The New Statesman'' (known from 1931 to 1964 as the ''New Statesman and Nation'') is a British political and cultural news magazine published in London. Founded as a weekly review of politics and literature on 12 April 1913, it was at first c ...
'', still the house magazine of the intellectual Left. One of her successors,
Karl Miller Karl Fergus Connor Miller FRSL (2 August 1931 – 24 September 2014) was a Scottish literary editor, critic and writer. Biography Miller was born in the village of Loanhead, Midlothian, and was educated at the Royal High School of Edinbu ...
, recalled that "Janet used to take the trouble of writing to people to tell them what was wrong with their articles". Miller saw her – and himself – as "Edinburgh reviewers, latter-day examples of an auld Scots element in literary journalism". She still found time for her own work: almost 20 years after Michael Roberts had edited, at T.S. Eliot’s invitation, the classic anthology, the '' Faber Book of Modern Verse'', she matched his achievement with the ''Faber Book of Children's Verse'' (1953). She also edited Michael Roberts's ''Collected Poems'' (1958) and, with her friend and fellow climber Nea Morin, translated from the French several mountaineering books, notably Maurice Herzog's ''Annapurna'' (1952). In 1961 and 1964, she was
Virginia Gildersleeve Virginia Crocheron Gildersleeve (October 3, 1877 – July 7, 1965) was an American academic, the long-time dean of Barnard College, co-founder of the International Federation of University Women, and the only woman delegated by United States ...
Visiting Professor at
Barnard College Barnard College is a Private college, private Women's colleges in the United States, women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college affiliated with Columbia University in New York City. It was founded in 1889 by a grou ...
, New York. When, at the request of the Buchan family, she came to write her biography of
John Buchan John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir (; 26 August 1875 – 11 February 1940) was a Scottish novelist, historian, British Army officer, and Unionist politician who served as Governor General of Canada, the 15th since Canadian Confederation. As a ...
(1965), her understanding of Buchan's temperament and habit of mind owed much to their common cultural background of the democratic and independent-minded
Free Church A free church is any Christian denomination that is intrinsically separate from government (as opposed to a state church). A free church neither defines government policy, nor accept church theology or policy definitions from the government. A f ...
. Most of her papers are in the
National Library of Scotland The National Library of Scotland (NLS; ; ) is one of Scotland's National Collections. It is one of the largest libraries in the United Kingdom. As well as a public programme of exhibitions, events, workshops, and tours, the National Library of ...
, at Edinburgh.


Public service

Imbued with the tradition of public service, she was a Trustee of the
National Library of Scotland The National Library of Scotland (NLS; ; ) is one of Scotland's National Collections. It is one of the largest libraries in the United Kingdom. As well as a public programme of exhibitions, events, workshops, and tours, the National Library of ...
from 1950 to 1985, a remarkable record, and president of the
Royal Literary Fund The Royal Literary Fund (RLF) is a benevolent fund that gives assistance to published British writers in financial difficulties. Founded in 1790, and granted a royal charter in 1818, the Fund has helped an extensive roll of authors through its lon ...
from 1976 to 1984.


Honours and distinctions

She received an honorary degree (Hon. LL.D.) from Aberdeen University in 1962 and was made an OBE in the 1982 New Year Honours for services to Scottish literature.


Mountains and mountaineering

She was a keen and accomplished hill-walker and mountaineer. When working in London in her twenties, she would sometimes travel back to Aberdeen taking a night train to Aviemore, Kingussie or Blair Atholl, and then walking over the Cairngorm Mountains to Braemar. In the 1950s she organized many parties of friends and older children to the Alps to climb and to enjoy the pleasures of mobile holidays. She did a number of classic Alpine routes, including the Mer de Glace face of the Aiguille du Grépon (1955) and the traverse of the Meije (1958). She served as vice-president of the
Alpine Club Alpine clubs are typically large social clubs that revolve around climbing, hiking, and other outdoor activities. Many alpine clubs also take on aspects typically reserved for local sport associations, providing education and training courses, se ...
, 1978–80; and was elected to honorary membership of the club in 1993. Janet and Michael Roberts had built up a large collection of books on mountaineering, which, along with the collection of the Oxford University Mountaineering Club, provided a basis for establishment in December 1992 of the Oxford Mountaineering Library. Since 2019 this has been based in the Geography collections in the Social Science Library in the Manor Road Building, Oxford OX1 3UQ.


Assessment of her literary contribution

In an obituary published in ''The Scotsman'' shortly after her death in September 1999, the Scottish novelist and journalist Allan Massie wrote: “The critical study of Scottish literature owes much to Janet Adam Smith. … Ernest Mehew, the editor of the great Yale University edition of Stevenson's Letters, paid tribute to the ‘leading part’ she played ‘in the revival of critical interest in Stevenson's life and work at a time when he was largely ignored in academic circles’. He referred to the biography, her edition of Stevenson's correspondence with Henry James, and her two editions of Stevenson's poetry (1950 and 1971) – ‘a major work of scholarship which has not been superseded’. “Stevenson was not alone in benefiting from her enthusiastic and discriminating advocacy. Two lectures on
Sir 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 ...
and the Idea of Scotland, given at the University of Edinburgh in 1963, gave an impetus to the revival of academic interest in Scott. Her analysis of ''Waverley'' is unsurpassed. “But her masterpiece was her biography of John Buchan. It is probably hard for people today to realise just how low Buchan's reputation stood in the early Sixties. He was dismissed as a mere entertainer with disreputable political and social views. Janet Adam Smith corrected misconceptions and restored him to his proper status as a serious writer and public figure. Everyone who has written subsequently on Buchan is in her debt. Like all her work, the biography was written with a beautiful and authoritative lucidity. “Though she wrote no major work after Buchan, she remained an industrious literary journalist … She remained intellectually alert and eager to read new work into extreme old age. … “Based in England throughout her adult life, she nevertheless remained committed to Scotland and Scottish literature. Karl Miller was right in seeing her as being an heir of the Edinburgh Reviewers, for she was one of the last representatives of the Scottish Enlightenment, marrying clear and bold thinking to generous feeling."Allan Massie, obituary in ''The Scotsman'', 14 September 1999. This has been used extensively as a source for the present article. Minor amendments with the kind approval of the author.


Books by Janet Adam Smith

* (ed.) ''Poems of Tomorrow: An Anthology of Contemporary Verse chosen from The Listener'', Chatto & Windus, London, 1935; * ''Robert Louis Stevenson'', Duckworth, London, 1937; * ''Mountain Holidays'', Dent, London, 1946, 2nd edn., Ernest Press, Glasgow, 1996; * ''Life Among the Scots'', Collins, London, 1946; * ''Children's Illustrated Books'', Collins, London, 1948; * (ed.) ''Henry James and Robert Louis Stevenson: A Record of Friendship and Criticism'', Rupert Hart-Davis, London, 1948; * (ed.) ''Robert Louis Stevenson: Collected Poems'', Rupert Hart-Davis, London, 1950; 2nd edn., 1971; * (ed.) ''Faber Book of Children’s Verse'', Faber and Faber, London, 1953; * (ed.) ''Michael Roberts: Collected Poems'', Faber and Faber, London, 1958; * (ed.) ''The Looking Glass Book of Verse'', Looking Glass Library, Random House, New York, 1959; * ''John Buchan: A Biography'', Rupert Hart-Davis, London, 1965; * (ed.) ''The Living Stream: An Anthology of Twentieth-century Verse'', Faber and Faber, London, 1969; * ''John Buchan and his World'', Thames and Hudson, London, 1979; * ''An Autobiography, 1905–1926'', with preface by Andrew D. Roberts, privately printed, London, 2005.


Translations by Janet Adam Smith

* (trans.) R. Frison-Roche, ''First on the Rope: A Novel'', Methuen, London, 1949; 2nd edn., Vertebrate Publishing, Sheffield, 2019; * (trans. jointly with Nea Morin) R. Frison-Roche, ''The Last Crevasse'', Methuen, London, 1952; * (trans. jointly with Nea Morin) Maurice Herzog, '' Annapurna'', Cape, London, 1952; subsequent edns., various publishers, 1974, 1986, 1997 & 2011; * (trans. jointly with Nea Morin) Bernard Pierre, ''A Mountain Called Nun Kun'', Hodder and Stoughton, London, 1955; * (trans. jointly with Nea Morin) G. Gervasutti, ''Gervasutti's Climbs'', Rupert Hart-Davis, London, 1957; 2nd edn., Diadem, Leicester, 1978.


See also

* Michael Roberts (writer) *
Alpine Club Alpine clubs are typically large social clubs that revolve around climbing, hiking, and other outdoor activities. Many alpine clubs also take on aspects typically reserved for local sport associations, providing education and training courses, se ...
* The Listener


Other sources

* Nicolas Barker, obituary: "Janet Adam Smith: A Woman of Substance in Literature and Mountaineering", ''The Guardian'', London, 14 September 1999. * Allan Massie, obituary, ''The Scotsman'', 14 September 1999. * Leonard Miall, "Obituary: Janet Adam Smith", ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'', London, 13 September 1999. * John D. Haigh, entry in the ''
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from History of the British Isles, British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') ...
'', Oxford University Press, 2004; online edition Oct. 2005.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Janet Adam 1905 births 1999 deaths 20th-century Scottish writers Scottish editors Scottish women editors Scottish women writers People educated at Cheltenham Ladies' College Alumni of Somerville College, Oxford Officers of the Order of the British Empire New Statesman people 20th-century Scottish women