The Child Who Was Tired & other stories by Katherine Mansfield

“Do you remember your childhood? I am always coming across these marvellous accounts by writers who declare that they remember ‘everything’. I certainly don’t. The dark stretches, the blanks, are much bigger than the bright glimpses. I seem to have spent most of my time like a plant in a cupboard.”

Katherine Mansfield

We will open this study with a LitSalon Special lecture by Dr Gerri Kimber which can also be booked as a standalone event.

Katherine Mansfield was a master of the modern short story. She crafted precise pictures of individual moments and scenes, resulting in deft narratives that are as devastating as they are beautiful. While the early 20th century novel has received a significant amount of critical attention, the short story has been somewhat overlooked. Nonetheless, as Mansfield’s biographer states, the short story ‘was often the most aesthetically experimental, formally innovative, emotionally powerful prose form of the early twentieth century.’ One critic has gone so far as to call it ‘the chosen form of the exile’, due to its daring and artistically marginal status.

This six-week study will consider themes including childhood, motherhood and female relationships. We will ask how Mansfield responds to the vulnerability of children while also addressing the difficulty of motherhood. We may also consider the fate of reluctant parents and the role of older carers.

These stories cover a broad geographical landscape, including Germany, Paris, London and New Zealand, and represent different stages in Mansfield’s career. This study is perfect for those who are new to Mansfield’s work as well as those who have already participated in our reading and discussion of her wonderful writing.

JOINING DETAILS:

• Seven meetings on Zoom facilitated by Karina Jakubowicz, including single introductory LitSalon Special lecture on Monday 13 May, 6.00-8.00 pm BST from the world expert on Katherine Mansfield, Dr Gerri Kimber.
• Mondays, 6.00-8.00 pm (UK), 13 May-24 June 2024, stories to be studied (in order, weeks 2-7):
  Week 2. Something Childish But Very Natural
  Week 3. The Child Who Was Tired
  Week 4. At Lehmanns
  Week 5. How Pearl Button Was Kidnapped
  Week 6. Je ne Parle Pas Francais
  Week 7. Life of Ma Parker
  Most are available free of charge from the Katherine Mansfield Society
• £200 for seven meetings and introductory notes (including LitSalon Special Lecture at discounted rate of £20)