Lorna Sage
Lorna Sage was a prominent Welsh literary critic and memoirist, born in 1943 in Hanmer, Wales. The eldest child in her family, her upbringing was marked by complex family dynamics, particularly the troubled marriage of her grandparents, which shaped her views on relationships and marriage. Despite early challenges, including a teenage pregnancy and a subsequent marriage that ended in divorce, she pursued her education vigorously, obtaining a scholarship to Durham University and later earning a master’s degree from Birmingham University. Sage spent much of her career teaching English literature at the University of East Anglia and became known for her insightful literary criticism, contributing to major publications like The Observer and The New York Times.
She edited influential works, such as The Cambridge Guide to Women's Writing in English, and authored several notable books exploring women's literature. Sage gained significant recognition with her memoir, Bad Blood (2001), which delves into her childhood and examines the complexities of familial relationships. This work earned her the Whitbread Award for Biography shortly before her death from emphysema on January 11, 2001. Sage's contributions to literature continue to resonate, particularly her focus on women's voices and experiences.
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Lorna Sage
Author
- Born: January 13, 1943
- Birthplace: Hanmer, Wales
- Died: January 11, 2001
Biography
Lorna Sage was born in Hanmer, Wales, in 1943, the eldest child of Valma and Eric Stockton. She was educated at the local school and later attended a girls’ high school in Whitchurch, Shropshire, a town located about six miles from her home. As a child, Sage’s grandfather was an important figure in her life, but he was not a good influence on her because of his womanizing and drinking. A vicar in the church, he was eventually exiled to a remote village because of his behavior. His wife despised him and lived solely on her memories.
Sage was an unfortunate witness to the dissolution of her grandparents’ marriage, and she vowed never to marry. However, at the age of sixteen Sage caused a family scandal by becoming pregnant. While still a teenager, she married Victor Sage, the father of her child, whom she later divorced in 1974.
Sage was able to continue her education, and she won a scholarship to Durham University to study English. She later received a master’s degree from Birmingham University for her thesis on seventeenth century poetry. After earning her degree, Sage began teaching English literature at the University of East Anglia, where she remained for much of her career. In 1979, Sage married for the second time.
Sage was a well-known literary critic, and she wrote reviews for magazines such as The Observer, Literary Review, and The New York Times. She also edited The Cambridge Guide to Women’s Writing in English, published in 1999.This book has since become a standard reference for information about women writers. In addition, she wrote several books about women authors, including Doris Lessing (1983), Women in the House of Fiction: Post-War Women Novelists (1992), and Moments of Truth: Twelve Twentieth-Century Women Writers (2001).
Although Sage had a long and distinguished career as a literary critic, she did not become famous until she wrote her memoir, Bad Blood (2001). The book recounts her childhood and dissects the anatomy of three marriages, those of her grandparents, her parents, and herself. The book won the Whitbread Award for Biography in 2001. Shortly after receiving the award, Sage died from emphysema on January 11, 2001, two days before her fifty-eighth birthday.