Elizabeth Taylor (Reading, 1912 – Penn, 1975), not to be confused with the legendary Hollywood actress of the same name, is today considered one of the most important British writers of the 20th century. She worked as a governess and librarian before marrying in 1936. She wrote her first book, At Mrs Lippincote’s (1945), during the war, while her husband was serving in the Royal Air Force. Eleven more novels followed, including Miss Dashwood (1946), A View of the Harbour (1947), A Game of Hide and Seek (1951), Angel (1957, forthcoming from Blackie), In a Summer Season (1961), The Soul of Kindness (1964), and Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont (1971, a Booker Prize finalist and considered one of the hundred best novels of all time by The Guardian). Her intelligent and ironic portraits of English middle-class life earned her great popularity. She published acclaimed short stories in Vogue, The New Yorker, and Harper’s Bazaar, among other publications. Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont marks the republication of Elizabeth Taylor’s works in Italy by Blackie Edizioni.
