The European (1953 magazine)


The European was a limited circulation political and cultural magazine that was published between 1953 and 1959. During this tenure, it was edited by Diana Mosley of the Mitford family. Diana had been one of the Bright young things and had cultivated friendships with several of the contributors to the magazine. These included Ezra Pound, Henry Williamson and Roy Campbell. The magazine was published by Euphorion Books, a publishing company formed by Mosley and her husband, Sir Oswald Mosley, founder of the British Union of Fascists.

Overview

It was initially founded as a platform for Sir Oswald to raise consciousness of his doctrine of Europe a Nation. The publication also stressed the importance that Britain should join the European Community. Although the majority of contributors were pro-Europe, the magazine, according to Diana Mosley was an "open forum". The Economist said that the magazine "echoed Mosley's views." Described as a "cultural magazine" by The Evening Standard in 2009, however, Victoria Horwell of The Guardian described it as a "far-right magazine" in her obituary piece on Diana Mosley in 2003. Diana Mosley's biographer, Jan Dalley wrote that the magazine was devised for Oswald Mosley to reach a more intellectual and middle-class audience. Mosley included a European editorial but Dalley says that "Diana preferred to fill it with book reviews and notices of plays and films, even articles about food and cookery, to the dismay of the old guard."

Contributors

As well as editing the magazine, Diana Mosley contributed regular diary entries, articles and book reviews. Several of these contributions were republished in the 2008 book The Pursuit of Laughter, a collection of journalism by Mosley.
In July 1956, Diana wrote the essay, The Writing of Rebecca West, later republished in 1986.
Desmond Stewart and Alan Neame were regular contributors and Diana also arranged contributions by Ezra Pound, Henry Williamson, Roy Campbell, Anna Kavan, Hugo Charteris and Nicholas Mosley.