May Wedderburn Cannan

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May Wedderburn Cannan, born on October 14, 1893, in Oxford, England, was a British poet whose experiences during World War I deeply influenced her work. She was the second of three daughters in an intellectually vibrant family; her father, Charles Cannan, served as Dean of Trinity College and was involved with the Oxford University Press.

In 1911, at 18, Cannan joined the Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD), training as a nurse and eventually attaining the rank of Quartermaster. Her commitment led her to Rouen, France, in 1915, where she assisted in operating a canteen at a railway hub, providing support to soldiers. Later, she contributed to the war effort by working in the espionage department of the War Office in Paris during 1918.

Cannan’s literary output during and after the war includes three volumes of poetry: “In War Time” (1917), “The Splendid Days” (1919), and “The House of Hope” (1923). Her poem “Rouen,” inspired by her time in France, was later selected by Philip Larkin for inclusion in “The Oxford Book of Twentieth Century English Verse” (1973), highlighting its enduring significance.

On a personal front, Cannan was engaged to Bevil Quiller-Couch, who tragically succumbed to the influenza pandemic in 1919. She later married Percival James Slater, a World War I balloonist who rose to the rank of Brigadier in World War II.

Although she ceased publishing in the 1920s, Cannan completed an autobiographical work, “Grey Ghosts and Voices,” which was published posthumously in 1976. Her legacy endures through her poignant wartime poetry, offering insight into the experiences and emotions of those tumultuous times.

May Wedderburn Cannan passed away on December 11, 1973, leaving behind a body of work that continues to resonate with readers and scholars interested in World War I literature and women’s contributions to it.

You may learn more at the Poetry Foundation and Wikipedia.