Fonds F23 - Caryll Houselander Fonds

Caryll Houselander was born on September 29, 1901, in Bath, England, to Gertrude Provis Houselander and Willmott Houselander. After her parents' separation, Houselander was sent to a French-run convent boarding school in Olton (1913-1915) until she became ill and paused her education to live in a convalescent home. In 1917, she moved to an English convent school, but dropped out to begin working that same year. Despite lacking formal theological education, Houselander went on to make significant contributions to various religious periodicals and published multiple books throughout her adult life. She was a Catholic artist, mystic, and spiritual writer. Her first book, "This War is the Passion," was published in 1941. Houselander's work often explored the theme of finding Christ in humanity and emphasized the importance of empathy in the modern age. Her writings provided comfort and guidance to many individuals during and after the World Wars. Houselander passed away on October 12, 1954, at the age of 53.