Christopher Caudwell
Encyclopedia
Christopher Caudwell is the pseudonym
of Christopher St. John Sprigg (20 October 1907 - 12 February 1937), a British Marxist
writer, thinker and poet.
He was born into a Catholic
family living at 53 Montserrat Road, Putney
district, south-west London
. Educated at the Benedictine
Ealing Priory School
, Caudwell's formal education ended at the age of 15 when his father, Stanhope Sprigg, lost his job as literary editor of the Daily Express
. Caudwell moved with his father to Bradford
and began work as a journalist for the Yorkshire Observer. He found his own way to Marxism and set about rethinking everything in light of it, from poetry to philosophy
to physics
.
He joined the Communist Party of Great Britain
in Poplar
in the East End of London
. In December 1936 he drove an ambulance to Spain
and joined the International Brigades
once there, training as a machine-gunner at Albacete
before becoming a machine-gun instructor and group political delegate. He also edited a wall newspaper
.
Caudwell was killed in action on 12 February 1937 during the first day of the battle
of the Jarama
Valley. His brother Theodore had attempted to have Caudwell recalled by the Communist Party of Great Britain by showing General-Secretary Harry Pollitt
the proofs of Illusion and Reality
. However, despite the myth that a recall telegram was sent but arrived after Caudwell's death, no telegram or other recall instruction was ever sent, which was an enduring source of bitterness for Theo.
His marxist works were published posthumously. The first was Illusion and Reality
(1937), an analysis of poetry.
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
of Christopher St. John Sprigg (20 October 1907 - 12 February 1937), a British Marxist
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
writer, thinker and poet.
He was born into a Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
family living at 53 Montserrat Road, Putney
Putney
Putney is a district in south-west London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
district, south-west London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Educated at the Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
Ealing Priory School
St Benedict's School
St Benedict's School is a co-educational independent Roman Catholic school situated in Ealing, West London. The school is part of Ealing Abbey and is governed by the Abbot and monks of Ealing. As the only day school of the English Houses of the English Benedictine Congregation, the school does not...
, Caudwell's formal education ended at the age of 15 when his father, Stanhope Sprigg, lost his job as literary editor of the Daily Express
Daily Express
The Daily Express switched from broadsheet to tabloid in 1977 and was bought by the construction company Trafalgar House in the same year. Its publishing company, Beaverbrook Newspapers, was renamed Express Newspapers...
. Caudwell moved with his father to Bradford
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
and began work as a journalist for the Yorkshire Observer. He found his own way to Marxism and set about rethinking everything in light of it, from poetry to philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
to physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
.
He joined the Communist Party of Great Britain
Communist Party of Great Britain
The Communist Party of Great Britain was the largest communist party in Great Britain, although it never became a mass party like those in France and Italy. It existed from 1920 to 1991.-Formation:...
in Poplar
Poplar, London
Poplar is a historic, mainly residential area of the East End of London in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is about east of Charing Cross. Historically a hamlet in the parish of Stepney, Middlesex, in 1817 Poplar became a civil parish. In 1855 the Poplar District of the Metropolis was...
in the East End of London
East End of London
The East End of London, also known simply as the East End, is the area of London, England, United Kingdom, east of the medieval walled City of London and north of the River Thames. Although not defined by universally accepted formal boundaries, the River Lea can be considered another boundary...
. In December 1936 he drove an ambulance to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and joined the International Brigades
International Brigades
The International Brigades were military units made up of volunteers from different countries, who traveled to Spain to defend the Second Spanish Republic in the Spanish Civil War between 1936 and 1939....
once there, training as a machine-gunner at Albacete
Albacete
Albacete is a city and municipality in southeastern Spain, 258 km southeast of Madrid, the capital of the province of Albacete in the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha. The municipality had a population of c. 169,700 in 2009....
before becoming a machine-gun instructor and group political delegate. He also edited a wall newspaper
Wall newspaper
A wall newspaper or wall-newspaper is a printed newspaper designed to be displayed and read in public places, such as walls. The practice dates back to at the least the Roman Empire. They are often produced by governmental entities in locations where production costs or distribution problems might...
.
Caudwell was killed in action on 12 February 1937 during the first day of the battle
Battle of Jarama
The Battle of Jarama was an attempt by General Franco's Nationalists to dislodge the Republican lines along the river Jarama, just east of Madrid, during the Spanish Civil War...
of the Jarama
Jarama
Jarama is a river in central Spain. It flows north to south, and passes east of Madrid when El Atazar Dam is built on a tributary, the Lozoya River. It flows into the river Tagus in Aranjuez...
Valley. His brother Theodore had attempted to have Caudwell recalled by the Communist Party of Great Britain by showing General-Secretary Harry Pollitt
Harry Pollitt
Harry Pollitt was the head of the trade union department of the Communist Party of Great Britain and the General Secretary of the party for more than 20 years.- Early life :...
the proofs of Illusion and Reality
Illusion and Reality
Illusion and Reality is a book of Marxist literary criticism by Christopher Caudwell published in 1937.-Overview:Illusion and Reality was written quickly during the summer of 1935, while Caudwell was in the process of a political conversion to Marxism. Portions of the manuscript were produced at a...
. However, despite the myth that a recall telegram was sent but arrived after Caudwell's death, no telegram or other recall instruction was ever sent, which was an enduring source of bitterness for Theo.
His marxist works were published posthumously. The first was Illusion and Reality
Illusion and Reality
Illusion and Reality is a book of Marxist literary criticism by Christopher Caudwell published in 1937.-Overview:Illusion and Reality was written quickly during the summer of 1935, while Caudwell was in the process of a political conversion to Marxism. Portions of the manuscript were produced at a...
(1937), an analysis of poetry.
Works
Caudwell published widely, writing criticism, poetry, short stories and novels. Much of his work was only published posthumously.Criticism
- Illusion and RealityIllusion and RealityIllusion and Reality is a book of Marxist literary criticism by Christopher Caudwell published in 1937.-Overview:Illusion and Reality was written quickly during the summer of 1935, while Caudwell was in the process of a political conversion to Marxism. Portions of the manuscript were produced at a...
(1937) - Studies in a Dying Culture (1938)
- The Crisis in Physics (1939)
- Further Studies in a Dying Culture (1949)
- Romance and Realism (1970)
- Scenes and Actions (1986)
Poetry
- Poems (1939)
- Collected Poems (1986)
Short stories
- Scenes and Actions (1986)
- Death at 8:30
Other
- The Airship: Its Design, History, Operation and Future (1931)
- British Airways (1934)
External links
- Christopher Caudwell Archive at the Marxists Internet Archive
- Christopher Caudwell by Helena SheehanHelena SheehanProfessor Helena Sheehan is an academic philosopher, historian of science, and writer on communication studies, politics, and philosophical subjects...
: an extract from Marxism and the Philosophy of Science: A Critical History (Humanities Press: 1985, 1993).