May Wedderburn Cannan facts for kids

May Wedderburn Cannan (born October 14, 1893 – died December 11, 1973) was a British poet. She is best known for her poems written during and after World War I. Her work often shared her experiences and feelings from that time.

Biography of May Wedderburn Cannan

Early Life and War Work

May grew up in Oxford, England. Her father, Charles Cannan, was important at Trinity College, Oxford. He also worked for the Oxford University Press.

When she was 18 in 1911, May joined the Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD). This group helped nurses during wartime. She trained as a nurse and became a Quartermaster, which meant she managed supplies. Sharon Ouditt, a writer, said that for nurses, their Red Cross badge was a sign of their sacrifice.

May wrote a poem where the Red Cross sign was like the crossed swords on a soldier's record. This showed how much she cared for those serving in the war.

And all you asked of fame
Was crossed swords in the Army List,
My Dear, against your name.

During the war, May went to Rouen, France, in 1915. She helped run a canteen for soldiers at the train station for about a month. Later, she returned to France in 1918. She worked in the espionage (spy) department of the War Office in Paris. There, she was reunited with her fiancé, Bevil Quiller-Couch.

May published three books of poetry during and after the war. These were In War Time (1917), The Splendid Days (1919), and The House of Hope (1923). She also wrote one novel called The Lonely Generation in 1934.

A famous poet named Philip Larkin chose her poem "Rouen" for a poetry book. He said it showed the "warmth and idealism" of the VADs during World War I. He found it very charming.

Later Years and Memories

May stopped writing for publication in the 1920s. However, in her later years, she wrote a book about her life. It was called Grey Ghosts and Voices (published in 1976). This book looked back at her childhood, the war years, and the time right after the war.

More of her poems were found in a handwritten notebook. Her great-niece, Charlotte Fyfe, published them in a book called The Tears of War (2000). This book also shared the story of May's love for Bevil Quiller-Couch. It included parts from May's autobiography and letters from Bevil.

May Cannan's Family

May was the sister of the novelist Joanna Cannan. Her father was the academic Charles Cannan. She was also a cousin to the British novelist and playwright Gilbert Cannan.

May was an aunt to the Pullein-Thompson sisters and the playwright Denis Cannan. She was also a great-aunt to Charlotte Popescu.

May was engaged to Bevil Quiller-Couch. He was a gunner in World War I. Sadly, he survived the war without injury but died in the Spanish flu pandemic in 1919. Later, May married Percival James Slater. He was a balloonist in World War I and became a Brigadier in World War II.

Radio Programme About Her Life

In 2002, BBC Radio 4 created a play based on The Tears of War. It was broadcast as the afternoon play for Armistice Day.