Mrs. Algernon Stitch, more familiarly known as Julia Stitch, is a character created by
Evelyn Waugh
Arthur Evelyn St. John Waugh (; 28 October 1903 – 10 April 1966) was an English writer of novels, biographies, and travel books; he was also a prolific journalist and book reviewer. His most famous works include the early satires ''Decli ...
, best known for her role in the novel ''
Scoop
Scoop, Scoops or The Scoop may refer to:
Artefacts
* Scoop (machine part), a component of machinery to carry things
* Scoop (tool), a shovel-like tool, particularly one deep and curved, used in digging
* Scoop (theater), a type of wide area l ...
''. The character was inspired by Waugh's friendship with the well-connected socialite,
Lady Diana Cooper
Diana Cooper, Viscountess Norwich (née Lady Diana Olivia Winifred Maud Manners; 29 August 1892 – 16 June 1986) was an English silent film actress and aristocrat who was a well-known social figure in London and Paris.
As a young woman, she ...
.
Mr. Wu and Mrs. Stitch
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Mrs. Stitch appears as a "fixer", a well-connected member of British, and especially London society, who can make things happen for people. This activity is known to all as "The Stitch Service". In ''Scoop'', she is asked to find employment for a novelist by the name of John Courtney Boot, and arranges for him to be sent as a journalist to cover a revolution in Africa. Due to a mixup, the distantly related and quite hapless William Boot is sent instead. When he returns triumphant, the accolades go instead to John Courtenay Boot, who did nothing to deserve them, allowing William Boot to return to his peaceful life writing articles about the British countryside.
In the ''Sword of Honour
The ''Sword of Honour'' is a trilogy of novels by Evelyn Waugh which loosely parallel Waugh's experiences during the World War II, Second World War. Published by Chapman & Hall from 1952 to 1961, the novels are: Men at Arms (Waugh novel), ''M ...
'' trilogy, Mrs. Stitch appears briefly helping Guy Crouchback recover from his ordeal in Africa.
In the novel '' Put Out More Flags'', Mrs. Stitch is referenced when it is discovered Angela Lyne has been drinking profusely. The discovery "... could scarcely have been more surprising had it been Mrs Stitch herself."
References
Evelyn Waugh characters
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