Sir Osbert Sitwell, 5th Baronet

English writer
Also known as: Francis Osbert Sacheverell Sitwell
Quick Facts
In full:
Francis Osbert Sacheverell Sitwell
Born:
Dec. 6, 1892, London, Eng.
Died:
May 4, 1969, near Florence, Italy (aged 76)
House / Dynasty:
Sitwell family
Notable Family Members:
brother Sir Sacheverell Sitwell, 6th Baronet
sister Edith Sitwell

Sir Osbert Sitwell, 5th Baronet (born Dec. 6, 1892, London, Eng.—died May 4, 1969, near Florence, Italy) was an English man of letters who became famous, with his sister Edith and brother Sacheverell, as a tilter at establishment windmills in literature and the arts. His best-known books are his prose memoirs.

Sitwell wrote satirical and serious poetry (The Collected Satires and Poems, 1931; Mrs. Kimber, 1937; Selected Poems, Old and New, 1943; Wrack at Tidesend, 1952; and other volumes); novels, of which the best is Before the Bombardment (1926), a satirical portrayal of the last phase of Victorian society in Scarborough, Yorkshire, just before World War I; short stories; and criticism. His reputation rests, however, on his autobiographical series Left Hand! Right Hand! (1944), The Scarlet Tree (1946), Great Morning! (1947), Laughter in the Next Room (1948), and Noble Essences (1950). In these he created with conscious nostalgia the portrait of a vanished age—childhood at the family seat, Renishaw Hall, near Sheffield, and at Scarborough; school days at Eton College; and service in the Grenadier Guards (1912–19). Especially memorable is the account of his eccentric and dominating father, Sir George Sitwell, whom he succeeded as the 5th baronet in 1943. Queen Mary and Others (1974) was a collection of essays published posthumously.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.

Sitwell family, British family of writers. Edith Sitwell (1887–1964) attracted attention when she joined her brothers in a revolt against Georgian poetry. Her early work, which emphasizes the value of sound, includes Clowns’ Houses (1918) and Façade (1923), set to music by William Walton. Beginning with Gold Coast Customs (1929), her style became less artificial and experimental, and during World War II she emerged as a poet of some emotional depth. Her later poetry is informed by religious symbolism, as in Gardeners and Astronomers (1953) and The Outcasts (1962). She was famous for her formidable personality, Elizabethan dress, and eccentric opinions. Her brother Osbert (1892–1969) became famous, with his siblings, as a tilter at establishment windmills in literature and the arts. His best-known books are his memoirs, including Left Hand! Right Hand! (1944) and Noble Essences (1950), which create with conscious nostalgia the portrait of a vanished aristocratic age. Their brother Sacheverell (1897–1988) is best known for his books on art, architecture, and travel. His Southern Baroque Art (1924) was the forerunner of much academic research. His poetry, including The People’s Palace (1918) and The Rio Grande, was written mostly in traditional metres and reveals in its mannered style his interest in the arts and music.

This article was most recently revised and updated by J.E. Luebering.