Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is a pseudonym for the reclusive and well-traveled writer, whose real identity is believed to be Vivian Cory. Born in 1868 in Rawalpindi, India, she was the youngest daughter of a British army officer. Cross began her literary career in the 1890s with provocative works that challenged societal norms, such as her first novel, "The Woman Who Didn't," which dealt with issues of self-respect and romantic choice. She is recognized for her unconventional female protagonists, who often subvert traditional gender roles, and for her groundbreaking depiction of interracial romance in "Anna Lombard." Throughout her career, which spanned over four decades, Cross authored twenty-three novels and several short story collections, gaining popularity for her imaginative and humorous prose. Despite her initial acclaim, her popularity waned in the 1920s, although she continued to write until her death in 1937. The choice of the name "Victoria Cross" is thought to symbolize her defiance, echoing the valor associated with the prestigious military award. Overall, her works reflect a daring exploration of sexuality and identity, making her a notable figure in early 20th-century literature.
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Victoria Cross
Fiction Writer
- Born: October 1, 1868
- Birthplace: Rawalpindi, India (now Pakistan)
- Died: August 2, 1952
Biography
Not much is known about the reclusive, well-traveled writer known as Victoria Cross. Indeed, even her name has proved difficult to determine. Although more than likely Vivian Cory, it is possible she was named Annie Sophie Cory. She also published under the names of Vivian (or Vivien) Cory Griffin and V. C. Griffin. Regardless, the author was born in 1868 in Rawalpindi, India, today part of Pakistan, the youngest of three daughters to British officer Arthur Cory and Elizabeth Fanny Griffin Cory. In time, her parents returned to England where Cory’s was educated, passing the matriculation examination at London University in 1888.
Cross began her writing career with her 1895 sexually suggestive story “Theodora: A Fragment,” published in The Yellow Book, which describes a man’s passion for a woman. It received mixed reviews, attacked on one hand for its “sex mania,” and praised on the other hand as brilliantly insightful. Her sexually candid first novel The Woman Who Didn’t (1895) deals with Eurydice, a woman who out of self-respect declines the advances of the narrator Evelyn, choosing instead to live openly with her lover.
Paula: A Sketch from Life (1896) presents another unconventional female protagonist desirous of a career as a playwright, and the protagonist Katrine in Cross’s 1899 A Girl of the Klondike lives alone, drinks, gambles, and carries a six-shooter. In both these novels, Cross turns society on its ear by having her heroines rescue their lovers. Paula donates blood to save her lover’s life and Katrine dies from the bullet aimed at her lover. Cross’s 1901 Anna Lombard broke more literary ground by portraying an interracial romance—the protagonist Anna, a general’s daughter educated in England, secretly marries an Indian servant—and catapulted Cross into the realm of major writers.
Shy and demure, refusing to congregate with other writers, Cross remained a recluse. In all, the writer known as Victoria Cross wrote twenty-three novels and three collections of short stories. Enormously popular in her day, she is mentioned by such literary luminaries as Katherine Mansfield and James Joyce. Daring and outrageous, she remains known for her exotic settings and her highly charged erotic scenes. Her humorous imaginative prose has been compared with Noel Coward.
Cross’s popularity declined in the 1920’s, although she continued writing until 1937. It is supposed she picked the pseudonym Victoria Cross, the military medal given for valor and heroism, because she viewed herself as bravely defiant.