Author Description

Born in Manchester in 1882, Sylvia grew up in a bohemian household that played host to great activists and artists such as Keir Hardie, George Bernard Shaw, William Morris, Thomas Mann, and Anne Besant. Sylvia inherited her father's unshakeable idealism, taking over an East End pub and converting it into a maternity clinic, a Montessori school, and a day nursery. Up until his death in 1915, Sylvia was involved in an anguished lover affair with Keir Hardie, co-founder of the Independent Labour Party. She finally made her home in Ethiopia, enthusiastically joining the people in their struggle for independence. On her death in 1960, she was honored with a State funeral. Drawing on her journals, letters, writings, and paintings, this is the fascinating story of her colorful life.