Vita Sackville-West

Date of Birth: March 9, 1892

Zodiac Sign: Pisces

Date of Death: June 2, 1962

Biography

Vita Sackville-West, born Victoria Mary Sackville-West, was an English author, poet, and gardener, best known for her novels and her contributions to the Bloomsbury Group. Born into an aristocratic family, she grew up at Knole House, a stately home in Kent that significantly influenced her life and work. Sackville-West’s literary career began with poetry, but she gained widespread acclaim with her novels, particularly “The Edwardians” (1930) and “All Passion Spent” (1931). Her deep and enduring friendship with Virginia Woolf also inspired Woolf’s novel “Orlando,” which is a fantastical biography of Sackville-West. Besides writing, she was an accomplished gardener and, with her husband Harold Nicolson, created the famous gardens at Sissinghurst Castle. Her work and life were marked by a blend of conventional and unconventional elements, including her open bisexuality and her numerous affairs with both men and women. She passed away in 1962, leaving behind a rich legacy in literature and horticulture.

5 Interesting Facts about Vita Sackville-West

1. Vita Sackville-West won the prestigious Hawthornden Prize for Imaginative Literature twice, in 1927 and 1933.

2. She was a key figure in the Bloomsbury Group, a collective of influential English writers, intellectuals, and artists.

3. Her novel “The Edwardians” was a bestseller and is still highly regarded for its portrayal of British aristocracy.

4. Vita and her husband Harold Nicolson had an open marriage and both had numerous same-sex relationships.

5. The gardens at Sissinghurst Castle, which she co-created, are among the most famous and visited gardens in England.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Vita Sackville-West

1. “It is necessary to write, if the days are not to slip emptily by.”

2. “Travel is the most private of pleasures. There is no greater bore than the travel bore.”

3. “The writer catches the changes of his mind on the hop.”

4. “I miss you even more than I could have believed; and I was prepared to miss you a good deal.”

5. “I worshipped dead men for their strength, forgetting I was strong.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

While exact figures are not available, Vita Sackville-West came from a wealthy aristocratic family and achieved significant financial success through her writing and gardening endeavors. Her highest net worth would likely be estimated in the millions of pounds, adjusted for inflation.

Children

Vita Sackville-West had two sons with her husband Harold Nicolson: 1. Benedict Nicolson (1914–1978), who became a notable art historian and editor. 2. Nigel Nicolson (1917–2004), who was a prominent writer, publisher, and politician.