Simon, Edith (writer and artist) (1917-2003)
Dates
- Existence: 1917-2003 - 2003
Biography
Edith Simon was born on 18 May 1917 in Berlin, Germany, to Walter and Grete Simon. Educated at the Fürstin-Bismarck Gymnasium, she showed a talent for art and history, and enjoyed early success with the publication of her drawings whilst still only 10 years old. Her father Walter, a decorated Great War veteran and successful businessman, moved with his young family to London when Edith was just 15, as the political climate in Germany became increasingly threatening. Edith, alongside her younger sister Inge, arrived in the British capital in 1932.
Edith studied for a short time at both the Slade School of Fine Art and the Central School of Art and Design. She also became an early member of the Artists International Association (AIA), which formed in London in 1933.
Writing Career
Embarking on her professional writing career, Edith’s first book was a children’s adventure story which she wrote and illustrated, titled Somersaults and Strange Company, published by Lawrence & Wishart in 1937. She had also begun working at this time as a book jacket illustrator, demonstrating her signature style and draughtsmanship. In 1938, she translated Arthur Koestler’s The Gladiators into English, which was published a year later. Her first novel, The Chosen, was published in 1940 by John Lane, The Bodley Head, when Edith was still only 23.
She would go on to author 17 books, including contemporary novels, historical novels, and histories, as well as contributing to edited collections. Her published work includes:
Somersaults and Strange Company (Lawrence & Wishart 1937)
The Gladiators by Arthur Koestler, (UK Johnathan Cape 1939; US Macmillan - New York 1939) (translated by Edith Simon)
The Chosen (The Bodley Head 1940)
Biting the Blue Finger (The Bodley Head 1942)
Wings Deceive (The Bodley Head 1944)
The Other Passion (The Bodley Head 1948)
The Golden Hand (UK edition Cassell & Co. Ltd. 1952; US edition G.P. Putnam's Sons 1951)
The Past Masters (UK edition Cassell & Co. Ltd. 1953; US edition 'The House of Strangers', G.P. Putnam's Sons 1953)
The Twelve Pictures (UK edition Cassell & Co. Ltd. 1956; US edition G.P. Putnam's Sons 1955)
The Sable Coat (Cassell & Co. Ltd. 1958)
The Piebald Standard: A Biography of the Knights Templar (UK edition Cassell & Co. Ltd. 1959; US edition G.P. Putnam's Sons 1959)
The Undying Past, ed. Orville Prescott (Doubleday 1961) (contributor)
The Great Forgery (UK edition Cassell & Co. Ltd. 1962; US edition Little, Brown & Co. 1962)
The Making of Frederick the Great (UK edition Cassell & Co. Ltd. 1963; US editions Little, Brown & Co., reprint Greenan Press)
Friedrich Der Grosse, Das Weiden eines Königs (Rainer Wunderlich Verlag, Hermann Leins, Tubingen, 1963)
The Book of Books – A Treasury of Great Bible Fiction, eds. Irwin R Blacker & Ethel H Blacker (Holt, Reinhart & Winston NY, 1965) (contributor)
The Reformation (Time-Life 1966)
Die Reformation von Edith Simon und der Redaktion der Time-Life (Time-Life 1967)
The Saints (UK edition Weidenfeld & Nicolson 1968; US edition Delacorte Press 1968)
Luther Alive (UK edition Hodder & Stoughton 1968; US edition Doubleday 1968)
The Anglo-Saxon Manner (Cassell & Co. Ltd. 1972)
The Makers of Modern Thought (Horizon Books American Heritage Books – subsidiary of McGraw Hill 1972) (contributor)
‘Frederick II the Great of Prussia’ (Encyclopaedia Britannica 1974) (contributor)
In addition, Edith also wrote two plays ‘The Inimitable’ and ‘Love Me, Scum’, neither of which were ever performed, and she completed a film script entitled 'A Perfect Marriage'.
It was in London in 1942 that Edith met the noted scientist Dr. Eric Reeve, whom she married that same year. The couple moved to Edinburgh in 1947 to facilitate Eric’s new role with Edinburgh University’s Genetics Department. They lived first at Mortonhall House, alongside a team of geneticists also working at the University. They would subsequently move to Roseberry Crescent, and Lansdowne Crescent, before settling permanently in Grosvenor Crescent. They had three children, Antonia (b.1950), Simon (b.1952), and Jessica (b. 1954).
Art Career
Edith returned to her artistic practice in the early 1970s, participating in an early exhibition at the Demarco Gallery in Edinburgh in 1970, followed by her first one-woman show at Gallerie Balans in Amsterdam in 1971 where she presented mobile sculptures and her signature papercut bas relief paintings. Edith would go on to stage and appear in over 50 exhibitions throughout her career. She experimented with and explored many mediums and forms including continuous line drawings, papercut bas relief scalpel paintings, rope sculptures, mobile and soft sculptures, sculptures in stained wood, ciment-fondue, vacuum formed perspex, cast polyester resin, cold-cast bronze, copper, aluminium, metal sheet, and carved plaster. She also utilised painted glass, as well as undertaking murals in paint and wood veneer. For over thirty years, she exhibited annually at the Edinburgh Festival, with her final show being held in 2001. [A full list of exhibitions (1970-2003) is available on the Edith Simon Gallery website cited below.]
In 1995, Edith contracted a respiratory infection which revealed an existing condition, widely known as emphysema. This necessitated the use of daily oxygen for the remainder of her life. Edith Simon died in Edinburgh on 7 January 2003.
Biographical information has been taken from ‘Moderation be Damned: Edith Simon’, published by Antonia Reeve in 2005, alongside the artist’s biographical note on the Edith Simon Gallery website, available at edith-simon.com.
Found in 446 Collections and/or Records:
Notebook concerning 'The Anglo-Saxon Manner', by Edith Simon , September-November 1967
Hardback notebook contains manuscript notes by the author, mainly relating to the book 'The Anglo-Saxon Manner', which was published in the United Kingdom in 1972.
Notebook concerning 'The Anglo-Saxon Manner', by Edith Simon, February 1970-September 1971
Hardback notebook contains manuscript notes by the author, mainly relating to the book 'The Anglo-Saxon Manner', which was published in 1972. Notebook also contains illustrations for 'mobile sculptures', and brief notes on a project entitled '? in the Royal Family.'
Notebook concerning 'The Making of Frederick the Great', by Edith Simon, 27 January 1959
Notebook containing 'working notes' by Edith Simon for the novel 'The Golden Hand', 1948
Notebook contains manuscript text, maps, and illustrations concerning, in particular, 'the cathedral'. Text appears to focus on plot points, possible chapter synopses, character studies, and historical points of interest. Inside front cover bears the annotation 'The Cathedral. Working Notes. Glory Hill Farm Epilogue 2nd Ed. D.I.' File also includes four loose pages of manuscript text concerning the plot, which were inserted to the rear of the notebook, one being dated 16 August 1948.
Notebook of Edith Simon concerning a potential play, 11 January 1955 - 31 May 1956
This notebook was found with two others which concerned the novel 'The Sable Coat', however this item appears only to concern a potential play Edith Simon was working on, featuring a manuscript draft, and accompanying editorial notes. The notebook was begun on 11 January 1955 and was completed on 31 May 1956. Simon utilises both ends of the notebook, writing front to rear and the opposite, in the tete-a-beche style.
Notebook of Edith Simon, concerning 'Luther Notes' and 'Saints', January 1966-March 1967
This notebook commences on 20 January 1966. Manuscript notes appear to reference two future publications by Simon, namely Luther Alive, published in the United Kingdom and the United States in 1968; and The Saints, also published in both countries in 1968. Final date is given as 2 March 1967.
Notebook of Edith Simon, concerning notes for 'The Sable Coat', 1955-1956
File also contains a two-page table of contents for the proposed novel.
Notebook of Edith Simon, concerning notes for various named plays, 1961-1963
Works-in-progress referenced in the notebook include 'Frederick's Father' (a play, possibly an early version of Love Me, Scum!); 'a play based on The Dismissal'; 'Morals & Manners' (a novel); and 'thoughts and notes for Scientist play'.
Notebook of Edith Simon concerning the novel 'The Golden Hand', featuring notes on 'The Cathedral', 'essays', and 'appendices and questions', bulk: circa 1946-1948
Inner front cover bears the annotation 'D.III The Essays. To be looked up for [?evay] provisional synopsis.' The first page of manuscript text bears the title 'The Story of St. Francis-of-Clouds-Way.' Nine pages at the rear of the notebook concern 'The Cathedral. D.III. Appendices & Questions'. File also includes loose pages found inserted in the notebook which appear to concern character development.
Notebook of Edith Simon concerning the novel 'The Other Passion', featuring draft excerpts and notes, bulk: circa 1948
First page of manuscript text begins 'The General sat in an empty room at the airport.' Notebook also includes two loose sheets of paper, also concerning draft excerpts.
Notebook of Edith Simon concerning the novel 'The Other Passion', featuring draft excerpts and notes, bulk: circa 1948
First page of manuscript text begins 'I am not afraid of anything.' Many pages have been scored horizontally with a pencil but text remains legible throughout.
Notebook of Edith Simon concerning the novel 'The Other Passion', featuring draft excerpts and notes, bulk: circa 1948
First page of manuscript text begins 'Book One: Part II. The Most Westerly Province.' Many pages have been scored by a pencil but the text remains legible throughout.
Notebook of Edith Simon concerning the novel 'The Other Passion', featuring 'reflection synopsis' and draft excerpts, bulk: circa 1948
First page of manuscript text begins 'It was very early morning, and cold; no one could have said what kind of day it was going to turn out to be.' Many pages have been scored diagonally by a pencil but the text remains legible throughout.
Notebook of Edith Simon concerning the novel 'The Sable Coat', 3 August 1955 - 18 August 1956
Notebook of Edith Simon concerning the novel 'The Sable Coat', volume 1, 17 March 1955-21 March 1956
This notebook was begun on 17 March 1955 and completed on 21 March 1956. Title page features the annotation 'The Sable Coat: Synopsis.' Subject matter of notebook includes manuscript notes on outlines for chapters, notes on characters, and possibly draft excerpts. Also present are two inserted pages focussing on a table of contents for the book, and editorial notes.
Notebook of Edith Simon concerning the novel 'The Sable Coat', volume 2, 5 September 1955-4 June 1956
This notebook was begun on 5 September 1955 and completed on 4 June 1956. Title page features the annotation 'The Sable Coat. Vol. II.' Subject matter of notebook includes insertions and revisions to be made to existing typescripts of the novel. Notebook also contains manuscript draft excerpts from the novel.
Notebook of Edith Simon, concerning various writing projects, 1960-1963
Notebook contains manuscripts notes in relation to what Simon refers to as the 'J-Novel'; another project noted as 'The Child Novel'; and possibly 'The Great Forgery'. Rear pages have been torn from the notebook and are missing. [Both the 'J-novel' and 'The Child Novel' may refer to the same abandoned novel provisionally titled elsewhere in the collection as 'An Affair of Love'.]
Notebook of Edith Simon containing a manuscript draft for 'The Sable Coat', volume I, February 1955 - December 1955
Notebook of Edith Simon containing a manuscript draft of the novel 'The Golden Hand', volume 1, ?1949
Manuscript text has been overlaid with a green cross on all pages, but the text remains visible and legible. The inner front cover features the annotation 'The Golden Hand, Volume I'.
Notebook of Edith Simon containing a manuscript draft of the novel 'The Golden Hand', volume 2, ?1949
Manuscript text has been overlaid with a green cross on all pages, but the text remains visible and legible. The inner front cover features the annotation 'The Golden Hand, Volume II.' The first page of text bears the title 'Second version. Part II. 1. The Anglemere-Damesborough Feud.' The notebook also includes, at its rear, nine pages of manuscript text concerning a possible story entitled 'The Human Quality.'
Notebook of Edith Simon, containing 'Early First Notes for Manners & Morals' [later 'The Saints'], and notes on other books, 1961-1963
Inside front cover bears the inscription 'Early (First) Notes for Manners & Morals.' It also contains references to 'Frederick The Great; and The Piebald Standard: A Biography of the Knights Templars.
Notebook of Edith Simon containing illustrations, notes on artworks and exhibitions, and other creative matters, ?1990-?2000
Notebook contains pen and pencil sketches; lists of works; notes on the artist's creative process; notes and illustrations for possible future artworks; and notes on exhibitions and audio visual projects. Notebook also includes five inserted pages containing notes on similar themes.
Notebook of Edith Simon, containing manuscript draft excerpts of the novel 'The Twelve Pictures', with accompanying notes throughout, 7 August 1953-18 October 1954
Manuscript text runs from front to rear of notebook and back. The earliest date noted is 7 August 1953, with the latest date given as 18 October 1954.
Notebook of Edith Simon, containing manuscript draft excerpts of the novel 'The Twelve Pictures', with accompanying notes throughout, 28 June 1954-27 August 1954
Notebook was begun on 28 June 1954 and appears to have been completed on 27 August 1954. The first page of manuscript text features the title 'Second Attempt at Ch. 6, Part IV.' Notebook also contains a loose 5-page section of a manuscript draft entitled 'Second Attempt at Ch. 2, Part V', dated 8 July [?1954].