#NotableKiwis: KATHERINE MANSFIELD

DID YOU KNOW? Kathleen Mansfield Murry (pen name, Katherine Mansfield) was widely considered as the best short story writer of her time.

She was born from a well-known Wellington family as Kathleen Mansfield Beauchamp on 14 October, 1888. She has four sisters and one brother.  She went to Wellington Girls’ High School (now Wellington Girl’s College), where her first published piece – Enna Blake – appeared in the High School Reporter, and was highly regarded. She transferred to Fitzherbert Terrace School, and then to Queens College (London) when her family moved to England in early 1903.  It was this time when she discovered the works of her writing influences such as Oscar Wilde, Henrik Ibsen and more, that Katherine fully embraced her passion in writing.

Some of her works, including Miss Brill, Prelude, The Garden Party, and The Doll’s House and the Fly are collected in short story anthologies.

In 1917 she was diagnosed with extrapulmonary tuberculosis, which led to her death five years later, at the age of 34.

To recognise and honour her, some High Schools in New Zealand named their house after her.  These include Rangitoto College, Westlake Girls’ High School, Macleans College (all in Auckland), Tauranga Girls’ College in Tauranga, Wellington Girls’ College in Wellington, Rangiora High School in North Canterbury and Southland Girls’ High School in Invercargill.  A Stone monument was erected in Karori Normal School with a plaque of her work.  A park in Thorndon, Wellington and a street in Menton, France was also named after her.

(Ref: wiki, newworldencyclopeida; teara.govt.nz; Photo from natlib.govt.nz)