When Vita met Evelyn: Vita Sackville-West & Evelyn Irons – a brief affair a lifelong friendship
Vita Sackville-West makes an appearance in my novel, A Secretive Life – I hoped to give Evelyn Irons more than a walk-on part but in the end I had to edit her out. Evelyn deserves a whole book to herself – but for now, here’s a moment in her amazing life: In 1931 Evelyn Irons was 30 years old and on the cusp of many exciting achievements and adventures. She was a London journalist with the Daily Mail, and a lesbian in a relationship with budding artist Olive Rinder. Evelyn and Olive lived together in Evelyn’s flat. They kept their relationship secret of course, beyond their inner circle, though sometimes Evelyn joked that she wanted to announce her proclivities in The Times! Evelyn was handsome, Scottish, and a graduate of Somerville College, Oxford. Evelyn looked striking whether in stylish tweeds or a well-cut evening gown, especially as she wore her hair very short, giving her an androgynous edge. She was keen to establish herself as a serious journalis...