OG Mean Girls Of Literature: Burn Book By Virginia Woolf And Others Sold At £21k

Virginia Woolf literary confessions: What can be considered as the classic burn book of literature, Really and Truly: A Book of Literary Confessions, written by Virginia Woolf and Rebecca West, Hillaire Belloc and 38 other 20th-century writers just got sold at £21k.

The book was earlier estimated at £4000 to £6000 but the massive price hike was seen at the auction. The book was sold by Dominic Winter Auctioneers in Gloucestershire. 

What is the Literary Confessions book about? 

 The book contains 39 burning questions and handwritten answers to them by Virginia Woolf, Margaret Kennedy and other writers. The book reveals some very interesting takes of 20th-century writers on the then-contemporary authors.

It contains Questions like, " Who is the worst poet" and "Whose characters you most dislike". The surprising part is that the writers have very honestly answered the questions. TS Elliot was called the worst living poet and critic! while DH Lawrence and James Joyce have their names listed in "overrated novelists". Who knew that these "overrated writers" will grace our bookshelves even after a century?. 

Virginia Woolf Literary confessions: What she said? 

Well according to Woolf, Shakespeare was the "greatest genius among writers to ever live" and the greatest genius among poets too. She also had a different opinion about TS Elliot as she mentioned his name as the best living critic of literature. She called Jane Austen the best deceased English novelist.  

However, one can't be sure what Woolf thought of Thomas Hardy because she called him the worst living English novelist and the best living English novelist. Maybe she was still making up her mind about him. By the way, Virginia Woolf hated all dead men of letters and she didn't think any of the 20th-century writers will be read after twenty-five years. Too modest? 

Who discovered the book? 

According to a report by the BBC, the book was found by Margaret Kennedy's grandson William Mackesy found the book while going through his grandmother's things. Virginia Woolf literary confessions