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Nancy Clara Cunard (born March 10, 1896, in London) was an English poet, editor, and political activist. Born into the British upper class, she dedicated much of her life to combating racism and fascism.
Her influence extended to some of the 20th century’s most eminent writers and artists, including Wyndham Lewis, Aldous Huxley, Tristan Tzara, Ezra Pound, and Louis Aragon — all of whom were her lovers. Additionally, she inspired James Joyce, Ernest Hemingway, Constantin Brâncuși, Langston Hughes, Man Ray, and William Carlos Williams.
MI5 documents revealed her association with V. K. Krishna Menon, an Indian diplomat, orator, and statesman. V. K. Krishna would later become the second most powerful man in India during Jawaharlal Nehru’s term as the countries first Prime Minister, and would eventually be appointed the first Ambassador of India to Ireland.
In her later years, Nancy Cunard grappled with mental illness, and her physical health declined significantly. When she passed away at the Hôpital Cochin in Paris, she weighed a mere 26 kg.