VINTAGE EDITION
In Stead: The Man, Edith K. Harper documents the psychic world of W.T. Stead—newspaper editor, author, pacifist, social reformer, and pioneer of investigative journalism. While controversial in his methods, Stead was driven by a fearless pursuit of truth and an unwavering faith in the unseen. While renowned for his journalism and activism, he considered his spiritual work, especially Julia’s Bureau, his effort to connect the living with the dead, his greatest legacy. He boldly declared, “Julia’s Letters will be the Thomas à Kempis Imitation of the new century.”

Stead believed all human beings were “amphibious,” existing in both the physical and spiritual worlds. “There is not a materialist on earth,” he asserted, “who could live a week if he did not… enter the spirit-world by the simple process of going to sleep!” His deep faith in divine presence led him to proclaim, “Every enemy you have is a man in whom Christ is imprisoned. Your task is to liberate the Christ in him.”

Though skeptical of fraudulent spiritualist claims, he maintained that “ten frauds don’t minimize one fact, any more than if nine patients die, it follows that the doctor can’t cure the tenth!” He believed destiny was fixed: “The time of our passing is known and fixed in the ‘great scheme’ of existence.” Even as he faced death aboard the Titanic, he remained steadfast in faith, stepping into the next chapter with courage and trust in the divine.

Edith K. Harper (1872 – 1960), novelist and personal secretary to W. T. Stead, the prominent British journalist and spiritualist, is best known for her book Stead, the Man: Personal Reminiscences, published in 1918. This work provides insights into Stead’s life, character, and influence, drawing from her personal experiences working closely with him.