Eileen Bigland
Eileen Bigland was a Scottish writer and journalist born in 1898 in Edinburgh. Initially trained as a ballerina, her career path shifted after meeting Isadora Duncan, leading her to pursue writing instead. Bigland's diverse body of work included fiction, travel writing, and journalism, through which she explored various cultures and addressed gender and political issues. Notably, her book "The Story of the W.R.N.S." highlighted the experiences and heroism of the Women's Royal Naval Service. She also wrote a biography of Mary Shelley, contributing to the understanding of the renowned English Romantic novelist's life. Bigland's writings reflected a nuanced perspective on communism, as she believed it was vital for Western audiences to appreciate the improvements it brought to some Russians. Renowned for her respectful and nonjudgmental approach, she sought to uncover the humanity in diverse and often challenging contexts. Eileen Bigland passed away in 1970, leaving a legacy as a pioneering investigative reporter and a voice for underrepresented narratives.
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Subject Terms
Eileen Bigland
Nonfiction Author and Biographer/Autobiographer
- Born: 1898
- Birthplace: Edinburgh, Scotland
- Died: 1970
Biography
Born the youngest of three daughters (two others had perished before she was born) in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1898 to a Scotch and Russian family, Eileen Bigland initially trained to be a ballerina. She traveled to France to study ballet, but there she met Isadora Duncan, who discouraged her from pursuing dance as a career. As a result, Bigland ended up writing fiction and reading manuscripts for a publisher. She also worked as a travel writer and lecturer for the British Broadcasting Corporation. She eventually married and had children, but her marriage ended in the 1930’s.
Bigland’s writing encompassed many different cultures and groups, and she addressed both gender and political issues in her work. One of her more-famous books, The Story of the W.R.N.S., chronicles the experiences of the Women’s Royal Naval Service, emphasizing their treatment and their underscored heroism. She covered many topics as a journalist and even made a foray into biographies, writing Mary Shelley to shed light on the life of the famous English Romantic novelist. Bigland also wrote some pieces that took a favorable view of communism because she felt that it was important for the West to understand how communism had improved the lot of some Russians.
Bigland was universally praised for her nonjudgmental attitude toward the cultures she examined and for her ability to take things as they came to her without imposing preconceived notions. Ultimately, Bigland’s main achievement was her ability to find humanity where it was least expected—in the midst of ideological upheavals within exotic locales. She was also a pioneering investigative and profiling reporter who was willing to range far and wide in her search for intriguing subject matter. She passed away in 1970.