Sir, - In Classic English Short Stories 1930-1955, published by the Oxford University Press (New York), the editor, Derek Hudson, justifies his inclusion of Elizabeth Bowen with the following paragraph: "Some explanation of the term `English' in the present connection may be desirable. It excludes the Commonwealth; it excludes American writers; and it also excludes the many admirable indigenous short stories of Ireland, Scotland and Wales, which are properly the subject of collections in their own right. On the other hand, it has not been allowed to exclude Miss Bowen of County Cork, Mr Eric Linklater of Ross-shire, or a Manxman like Mr Nigel Kneale, all of whom have made reputations in England."
Does Derek Hudson regard Elizabeth Bowen as Irish? Was she an English writer living in Ireland or an Irish writer living in England and writing for the English public? Or was she simply AngloIrish? Does this solve the problems of John Boland and Jack Lane? Elizabeth Bowen and her kind, like it or not, were part of Irish society. - Yours, etc.,
Peggy Reichert,
Killorglin, Co Kerry.