"I worshipped dead men for their strength, forgetting I was strong"

"I worshipped dead men for their strength, forgetting I was strong.", wrote English novelist and female icon, Vita Sackville-West. She was known for her innocent mockery of the societal norms of the 1920s and being the author of books like All Passion Spent and The Edwardians. 

Privately, Vita Sackville-West was in a relationship that was considered quite scandalous, given the times she lived in. She dated prominent writer Virginia Woolf and although both were married to men, they penned hundreds of poetic letters to each other. Soon after, their relationship inspired Virginia Woolf’s most celebrated works, the 1928 novel Orlando.

Vita Sackville West was the other, lesser known mid-century woman writer whose name started with V and to celebrate her life, Ikka Dukka takes a look at some of the most fascinating aspects from the life of Sackville-West. 

1. Vita was passionate about gardening and spent her days writing and landscaping the gardens of Sissinghurst Castle. Even today, one could find a picture of Virginia Woolf kept atop her work desk. Her articles on landscaping and garden design were widely loved.

2. Sackville West's writing room was truly remarkable and its popularity encouraged Britain's National Trust to allow people to take Zoom meetings with the writing room as backdrop.  

3. It was revealed in their letters to each other that Virginia Woolf called Vita "honey" after Vita asked her to do so.

4. You can shop the entire vintage classics set of Sackville West's novels at IkkaDukka.com