Bloomsbury Bust: The Controversy of Virginia Woolf

For many English students (like Ottilie), Woolf’s literary works are staple texts in the English canon, with her novel, Mrs Dalloway, being included in many A-Level syllabuses. However, recently, her literary impact has been undermined by the possibility of racial epithets in her diaries, as well as claims of ‘blackface’ when working with the Bloomsbury Group. These remarks have left Woolf’s status unknown, as Ottilie explores.

‘With her literary achievements in one pan of the scales and her character defects-including her non-abidance by 21^st-century standards of political correctness… officials are balancing up the moral case for the memorial bust of Woolf outside her former home in Bloomsbury to remain undisturbed.’

But for those who haven’t studied or read her work, Virginia Woolf was a renown English novelist and a pioneer in the use of consciousness, as a narrative device. Her novels include Mrs Dalloway, To the Lighthouse, Orlando, and A Room of One’s Own, her extended essay. Her works have been translated into more than 50 languages and she is commemorated with statues outside her former home in Bloomsbury, the bust in Tavistock Square and a building at the University of London.

However, in a recent review by the Camden council the bronze bust statue of Virginia Woolf outside of the author’s former home in Bloomsbury, North London, is to be assessed for possible removal. Other statues said to be included in the Labour-controlled Camden review are of Mahatma Gandhi, Karl Marx and Matthew Flinders, the colonial explorer of Australia.

The council’s review is taking place to ensure that its monuments are ‘inclusive.’

The results from the review will be put into a project to ensure an ‘accurate, thorough and inclusive’ approach to monuments. A spokesman is quoted to have said ‘we want to help our communities and visitors to develop a greater understanding of statues and memorials in Camden.’

The leader of the Camden Conservative’s, Oliver Cooper, asserted ‘these plans to rewrite hundreds of years of history are being cooked up behind closed doors without discussion. If these decisions are being made for public benefit, they must have public consent and involvement, and with political consensus.’

The reason for the possible removal of Woolf’s statue is the claim by some that she held racist views. Extracts form her work have been criticised for the use of racial epithets, and her diaries include remarks and statements labelled as racist. Whilst in 1910 she dressed in ‘blackface’ as part of a prank by the group of artists and writers referred to as the Bloomsbury Group.

These are acts that are by no means acceptable by the standards of the 21^st century.

This raises the question as to whether the celebration of Woolf’s work should be cancelled.

Ilona Bell, an American academic who has written a biographical essay on Woolf, disagrees and defended Woolf to The Times, as she has written ‘some of the most brilliant, experimental novels and bold, path-breaking feminist critiques of the 20^th century. Nothing she may have said or done, off the record in her private life or journals can or should detract from the enormous impact she has had and continues to have.’

Jake Kerridge, writing for The Telegraph also defends Woolf in an article titled ‘Virginia Woolf shouldn’t be cancelled-her influence has been overwhelmingly benign.’ Arguing that ‘it seems absurd that anybody could question the fact that Woolf’s influence – not just on literature but on British society- has been overwhelmingly benign.’

One possible outcome is Camden council’s audit may result in QR codes being attached to monuments so that people can scan them with their phones and learn about the potentially problematic history of the people the statues represent.

What do you think?

• cancel culture
• Literary Monuments
• virginia woolf