Book Talk – A Woman Named Edith, by Daria Santini

A Woman Named Edith is Daria Santini’s new biography of Edith Tudor Hart and the first in English.

Shedding light on the life of a remarkably talented Austrian photographer and committed communist activist, Santini illustrates how – after fleeing the collapse of ‘Red Vienna’ for London in the early 1930s – Tudor Hart became immersed in some of the most significant artistic and political events of her era.

In London, she moved at the heart of left-wing circles where progressive ideas across fields as diverse as architecture, photojournalism and children’s education coexisted with the secrecy of clandestine communist activities. She also played a vital role in the Cambridge spy network, and was responsible for recruiting Kim Philby.

Yet despite being kept under close observation by the British Secret Service for decades, she was never caught and never confessed.