756 Newly Discovered Stories by Virginia Woolf (with Urmila Seshagiri) | My Last Book with Jake Poller

Dec 8, 2025

Urmila Seshagiri, a Distinguished Professor of Humanities and an expert on Virginia Woolf, reveals the recently discovered early stories of Woolf, featuring a giantess named Violet. She discusses how these humorous tales reflect Woolf's innovative spirit and early ambitions. Seshagiri also shares the captivating story of her manuscript discovery and explores the proto-feminist themes in Woolf's work. Literary biographer Jake Poller joins to share his intriguing choice for the last book he would ever read, highlighting his evolving literary taste.

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INSIGHT

Stories From Woolf's Early Career

Virginia Woolf wrote the three Violet stories in 1907 at age 25, well before her first novel and Bloomsbury prominence.
The tales belong to her early phase when she was beginning a professional writing life as Virginia Stephen.

insights

INSIGHT

Mock Biography Meets Satire

The stories are a mock biography and satirical tribute to Violet Dickinson, spoofing aristocratic friends.
They mix magical, fantastical elements with sharp social satire about conventional female roles.

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ANECDOTE

Violet Dickinson's Real-Life Role

Violet Dickinson was an unusually tall aristocratic woman who never married and became a social friend and mentor to Woolf.
Woolf called her Aunt Maria and relied on her for introductions that launched Virginia's early publishing career.

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Context: When Woolf Wrote These Stories

02:11 • 3min

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Why Woolf Wrote the Stories

04:42 • 1min

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Violet Dickinson: The Real-Life Giantess

06:06 • 4min

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Violet's Role in Woolf's Life

09:41 • 3min

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How the Stories Were Known Before

12:57 • 6min

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Discovery: Two Different 'Friendships Gallery' Copies

18:34 • 3min

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Reading the Longleat Manuscript

Tone: Woolf's Unusual Comic Fantasies

27:36 • 3min

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Significance: Woolf's Early Ambitions

30:42 • 2min

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Connections to Modernism and Violet's Example

32:42 • 6min

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A Cottage of One's Own: Proto-Feminist Idea

38:57 • 4min

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Friendship, Laughter, and Female Community

42:28 • 5min

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Woolf's Relationship with Publication and Privacy

Jake Poller: Last Book Question

50:05 • 4min

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Reading Habits: Genre Openness with Age

53:40 • 2min

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Audiobooks and Relaxed Reading

A short story by Virginia Woolf that explores the narrator's wandering thoughts while contemplating a mark on the wall.

Race and the modernist imagination

Urmila Seshagiri

Race and the Modernist Imagination explores how race was constructed and contested in modernist literature. It examines the works of various modernist writers and analyzes their representation and engagement with racial themes. The book delves into the complex interplay between race, identity, and literary expression during the modernist period. Seshagiri examines how race and modernist literature intersect to shape cultural and artistic landscapes. She provides an in-depth analysis of how race influences literary themes and character development, offering new insights into modernist literature.

#5984

• Mentioned in 7 episodes

Orlando

A Biography

Virginia Woolf

Published in 1928, 'Orlando: A Biography' is a novel by Virginia Woolf that spans over three centuries, from the Elizabethan era to the 1920s. The story revolves around Orlando, a young nobleman who begins as a favorite at the court of Queen Elizabeth I. Orlando's life is marked by numerous romantic encounters, including a significant relationship with the Russian princess Sasha. After a transformative period in Constantinople, Orlando awakens as a woman and continues her life, navigating the societal changes and constraints of different genders across various historical periods. The novel is a tribute to Woolf's friend Vita Sackville-West and explores themes of gender identity, literature, and the fluidity of human experience.

In 'Flush: A Biography', Virginia Woolf blends fiction and nonfiction to tell the story of Flush, the red cocker spaniel given to the poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning. The book follows Flush's life from his carefree existence in the country to his adoption by Elizabeth in London, and later to Italy with Elizabeth and her husband Robert Browning. Through Flush's eyes, Woolf critiques city life, class differences, and the societal constraints on women, while also exploring the deep bond between Flush and Elizabeth despite their language barriers. The novel is a unique blend of realism and stream of consciousness, offering insights into the lives of both the dog and his owner during the Victorian era.

#58322

Christopher Isherwood

• Mentioned in 4 episodes

Voyage Out

Virginia Woolf

#13170

• Mentioned in 3 episodes

Goodbye to Berlin

Christopher Isherwood

Goodbye to Berlin is a novel by Christopher Isherwood, set in the late Weimar Republic era. It is a collection of interconnected stories that reflect Isherwood's experiences in Berlin from 1929 to 1933. The novel explores themes of decadence, political upheaval, and personal identity, featuring characters like Sally Bowles, a young English flapper, and the diverse inhabitants of a Berlin boarding house. The book is a poignant farewell to a city on the brink of transformation under Nazi rule.

• Mentioned in 1,411 episodes

1984

George Orwell

Published in 1949, '1984' is a cautionary tale by George Orwell that explores the dangers of totalitarianism. The novel is set in a dystopian future where the world is divided into three super-states, with the protagonist Winston Smith living in Oceania, ruled by the mysterious and omnipotent leader Big Brother. Winston works at the Ministry of Truth, where he rewrites historical records to conform to the Party's ever-changing narrative. He begins an illicit love affair with Julia and starts to rebel against the Party, but they are eventually caught and subjected to brutal torture and indoctrination. The novel highlights themes of government surveillance, manipulation of language and history, and the suppression of individual freedom and independent thought.

#24316

• Mentioned in 2 episodes

Jacob's Room

Virginia Woolf

Jacob's Room is a novel by Virginia Woolf that innovatively portrays the life of Jacob Flanders through fragmented narratives and the observations of others. The book explores themes of identity, loss, and the passage of time, reflecting on the impact of the First World War on a generation. Woolf's experimental style in this work laid the groundwork for her later novels, such as 'Mrs. Dalloway'.

Did you think we already knew everything there was to know about Virginia Woolf? Think again! In this episode, Jacke talks to scholar and editor Urmila Seshagiri about The Life of Violet: Three Early Stories, which presents three interconnected comic stories chronicling the adventures of a giantess named Violet, which Woolf wrote in 1907, eight years before she published her first novel. The story of Seshagiri's discovery is nearly as fantastical as the stories themselves. PLUS literary biographer Jake Poller (Christopher Isherwood: A Critical Life) stops by to discuss his choice for the last book he will ever read.

Join Jacke on a trip through literary England (signup closing soon)! The History of Literature Podcast Tour is happening in May 2026! Act now to join Jacke and fellow literature fans on an eight-day journey through literary England in partnership with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠John Shors Travel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Scheduled stops include The Charles Dickens Museum, Dr. Johnson's house, Jane Austen's Bath, Tolkien's Oxford, Shakespeare's Globe Theater, and more. Find out more by emailing jackewilsonauthor@gmail.com or masahiko@johnshorstravel.com, or by contacting us through our website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠historyofliterature.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Or visit the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠History of Literature Podcast Tour itinerary⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠John Shors Travel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

The music in this episode is by Gabriel Ruiz-Bernal. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠gabrielruizbernal.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Help support the show at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/literature ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠historyofliterature.com/donate ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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