Virginia Woolf Facts & Worksheets

• Virginia grew up in an intellectual and artistic environment. Her family was well connected to Britain’s literary and cultural circles. Her great-aunt, Julia Margaret Cameron, was a famous photographer, and Lady Henry Somerset, another relative, was a campaigner for women’s rights. Their home in Hyde Park Gate was filled with books, paintings, and regular visitors, including well-known writers like Henry James and George Meredith. 
• A special place in Virginia’s childhood was Talland House in St Ives, Cornwall, where the family spent their summers. The house had a beautiful view of Porthminster Bay and Godrevy Lighthouse, which later inspired her famous novel To the Lighthouse (1927). Virginia enjoyed happy times there with her siblings, playing cricket, reading, and exploring the outdoors. However, Virginia’s childhood was also marked by loss and grief. In 1895, when she was just 13, her mother died after an illness. After her mother’s death, Virginia’s half-sister Stella stepped in to care for the family, but she also died suddenly in 1897, shortly after getting married. 
• After Stella’s death, Virginia’s half-brother George Duckworth took on the role of head of the family. He tried to introduce Virginia and Vanessa into London society, as was expected for young women of their class. However, Virginia found these social expectations stifling and felt that society had little regard for girls with creative ambitions. 

Education and Early Writing of Virginia Woolf

• Virginia Woolf’s education was informal and mostly took place at home, as her mother did not believe in formal schooling for girls. Instead, Virginia was taught by her parents. Her mother taught her Latin, French, and history, while her father helped her with mathematics. She also took piano lessons, adding to her well-rounded but unstructured learning. 
• Woolf was greatly influenced by her father’s large library, which allowed her to read widely and develop a love for literature. She was also shaped by the conversations at home, where her father hosted gatherings with writers, scholars, and political thinkers, introducing her to new ideas.
• From 1897, Woolf also had private lessons in Latin and Ancient Greek. One of her tutors was Clara Pater, and another was Janet Case, who became a close friend and introduced her to the women’s suffrage movement. Although Woolf couldn’t attend university like her brothers, she took lectures at the Ladies’ Department of King’s College London, where she studied history, classics, and languages. Here, she met women who encouraged her interest in feminism and social reform. 
• Woolf was also influenced by her brother Thoby’s time at Trinity College, Cambridge. Through him, she met young men who would later form the Bloomsbury Group—a circle of writers, artists, and thinkers who challenged traditional Victorian values. 
• Woolf showed a talent for writing from a young age. By the time she was five, she was already writing letters. At ten, she and her sister Vanessa created a family newspaper called Hyde Park Gate News, which included stories and news about their family life. Virginia continued writing for the newspaper until 1895, shortly before her mother’s death. 
• After her mother’s death, Woolf started keeping a diary in 1897, which she continued for most of her life. The diaries helped her express her thoughts and develop her writing. She also wrote short stories and essays during this time.

Personal Life of Virginia Woolf

• In 1912, Virginia Woolf married Leonard Woolf, a friend of her brother Thoby. Leonard had met her and Vanessa during visits to Cambridge, and he was struck by their beauty. After several years working in Ceylon, he returned to England in 1911. He and Virginia began spending time together, and in 1912, Leonard proposed. Virginia was hesitant at first, but they soon declared their love for each other, and they married on 10 August 1912 at St Pancras Town Hall.
• They went on honeymoon to Asham, the Quantock Hills, and then travelled to France, Spain, and Italy. After returning to England, they settled in Clifford’s Inn, dividing their time between London and Asham. Virginia had wanted children, but Leonard felt that her mental health was too fragile, and they decided not to have any.
• Before the wedding, Virginia had nearly finished her first novel, The Voyage Out. After marriage, she revised it extensively. The book was accepted by her half-brother’s publishing house, but the process of editing the manuscript took an emotional toll on Virginia. In 1913, she attempted suicide, but she was saved and later wrote about this difficult period. The Voyage Out was eventually published in March 1915.
• In 1914, the Woolfs moved to a house on Richmond Green and, by 1915, to Hogarth House in Richmond. They moved to the suburbs to help Virginia’s health. 
• During this time, they became part of the Bloomsbury Group, a circle of intellectuals. Both Virginia and Leonard were pacifists and opposed the First World War, which was something they shared with their friends. Leonard was medically exempt from conscription.
• The Woolfs hired two servants in 1916, Lottie Hope and Nellie Boxall, the latter of whom stayed with them for many years. The couple spent part of the war at Asham, but in 1919, they were forced to leave. They then bought the Round House in Lewes, a converted windmill, but when Monk’s House in Rodmell came up for sale, they sold the Round House and bought Monk’s House instead. This house had a large garden and beautiful views across the South Downs. Monk’s House would become their permanent home after their London house was bombed during the Second World War.