This is one of two articles that offer a broad survey of the various ways in which British writers took part in the enormous mobilisation for the war effort of 1914-18. Its aim is to answer the famous question “What did you do in the War?” on behalf of a much greater number of authors -- in this article, more than eighty -- than are usually considered in the context of that conflict, including writers-to-be, whose literary careers began during or after the war itself. This article identifies the kinds of civilian participation undertaken by men and women writers of the wartime generations; its companion-piece, “British Authors’ Military Service in the First World War”, covers the variety of war-zones and military roles in which male writers in uniform were involved.
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Citation: Baldick, Chris. "British Authors’ Civilian Participation in the First World War". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 15 September 2016 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=19479, accessed 22 November 2024.]