Julian Bell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Julian Bell
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Julian Bell and Elizabeth Watson, 1930
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| Born | Julian Heward Bell 4 February 1908 St Pancras, London, England |
| Died | 18 July 1937 (aged 29) Brunete, Second_Spanish_Republic |
| Cause of death | Killed in action (bomb fragments) |
| Occupation | Poet |
| Language | English |
| Nationality | English |
| Alma mater | King's College, Cambridge |
| Relatives | Clive Bell (father) Vanessa Bell (mother) |
Julian Heward Bell (born February 4, 1908 – died July 18, 1937) was an English poet. He was the son of Clive and Vanessa Bell. His mother, Vanessa, was the older sister of the famous writer Virginia Woolf. Julian's younger brother was the writer Quentin Bell. His half-sister was Angelica Garnett, a writer and painter.
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Early Life and Education
Julian Heward Bell was born in St Pancras, London. He grew up at a place called Charleston, Sussex. He went to school at Leighton Park School. Later, he studied at King's College, Cambridge. After finishing college, he tried to get a special fellowship, but he was not successful.
Time in China
In 1935, Julian Bell moved to China. He took a job teaching English at Wuhan University. While there, he wrote letters about his experiences.
Views on War
Julian Bell was first a pacifist. This means he believed that war and violence are wrong. He even edited a book called We Did Not Fight. This book shared stories from people who refused to fight in the First World War.
Involvement in the Spanish Civil War
In 1937, Julian Bell started to strongly support movements against fascism. Fascism is a political system where a country is ruled by a powerful dictator. He decided to join the Spanish Civil War. This war was fought between the government (Republicans) and rebel forces in Spain.
His parents and his aunt Virginia Woolf tried to stop him. They were worried about his safety. They finally convinced Julian to work as an ambulance driver for the Republican side. This was safer than being a soldier.
Julian wanted to go to Spain for several reasons. He felt sympathy for the Spanish Republic. He also thought war experience could be useful later. He believed it might help his writing career and his standing in left-wing politics.
After only one month in Spain, he was in the middle of a big battle. He was driving an ambulance for the British Medical Unit. This unit was helping the International Brigades at the Battle of Brunete. Julian was hit by pieces of a bomb. This happened on a road near Villanueva de la Cañada. He got a very bad lung wound. He later died in a military hospital at El Escorial. Julian Bell was 29 years old when he died.
Published Works
Julian Bell wrote several books of poems and edited one important collection.
- Winter Movement (1930) – A book of his poems.
- We Did Not Fight: 1914–18 Experiences of War Resisters (1935) – He was the editor of this book.
- Work for the Winter (1936) – Another collection of his poems.
- Essays, Poems and Letters (1938) – This book was put together by his brother, Quentin Bell, after Julian's death.
