Record Number: 22512

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'The other day some people from “The Gentlewoman” came to interview me and wished to put an account if me into their paper. I hate being public property and so refused though I acknowledged their kind intentions & the compliment they had paid me. If I once give myself into the hands of such people I shall not be able to breathe without the Editorial watch being produced to count the seconds – and I can’t live with the grip of the public ranter on my poor little wrist. I shall either long for it to tighten & deteriorate in consequence, or the publicity will make me die of shyness. I talked to the good ladies (who were much astonished that anyone would refuse to be set out in their excellent magazine), but remained firm - & they had to retire with no more ink wasted on their huge mss. They brought large enough books for their notes – poor things and it was a cold day. . . The Spectator I see is one of the adverse critics on my little Urmi. They cannot understand the Indian language naturally – and I think perhaps they are a bit angry about an Indian getting into so good a Magazine. They wish “if Indians are to take a part in our literature that they would do something separate” – Bosh! What red-Tafeism – as if we contaminate their literature. They say too it is “hardly local” – because any woman might feel the same. I daresay they fancy that because Indian women are not English they can’t have any nice feelings as to their ties to their husbands or to their children. However I don’t mind for they abuse Mr Knowles in the same paper.'

Century:

1850-1899

Date:

Until: 7 Jan 1893

Country:

England

Time

n/a

Place:

n/a

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

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Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Cornelia Sorabji

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Female

Date of Birth:

1866

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer
One of India's first women lawyers

Occupation:

Trainee lawyer

Religion:

Christian [family originally Parsee]

Country of Origin:

India

Country of Experience:

England

Listeners present if any:
e.g family, servants, friends

n/a

Additional Comments:

n/a

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Text Being Read:

Author:

Title:

The Spectator

Genre:

Essays / Criticism

Form of Text:

Print: Serial / periodical

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

unknown

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Source Information:

Record ID:

22512

Source - Manuscript:

Other

Information:

F165/8 Sorabji Papers, APACS, British Library

Additional Information:

Letter from Cornelia Sorabji, 8 Phillmore Gardens, Kensington, London to the family in Poona, India, 7 January 1893.

Citation:

F165/8 Sorabji Papers, APACS, British Library, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=22512, accessed: 28 September 2024

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Additional Comments:

Cornelia Sorabji, lawyer and author, had her earliest articles published in 'The Nineteenth Century', whose editor was Mr Knowles. She was suffciently unique in London society - with her colourful silk saris, her professional ambitions and her literary contributions - to be the prospective subject of an interview by the hapless female writers for 'The Gentlewoman' in the extract quoted.