Sayers' Late life.

Dorothy's later life was busy but rather lonely. She and Mac did not get along so well, as his drinking and ill health made him bad tempered. Her son got a scholarship to Oxford and she was very proud of him but she could not talk about him to her friends. She was involved with the Church, and wrote several play for stage and radio, including a life of Jesus for children, which was well thought of. She liked to eat well and put on more weight, which began to affect her health. Then she found a project which she enjoyed very much, which was to occupy her for the rest of her life. She began a translaton of Dante's Inferno. She became friends with Barbara Reynolds, a lecturer at Oxford who later wrote her biography. She loved the Dante work, and was absorbed in it. She started to read it during the war and it kept her busy for the rest of her life. In 1950, Mac's health became much worse and he died in their home in Witham. She missed him, but it had not been a very happy marriage over all. But he had given her a home and adopted her son...and helped her in her writing career for many years. For 7 years after Mac's death, Dorothy worked on the Dante translation, was involved with St Anne's Church Soho, and kept in touch with many friends by letter and visit, especially CS Lewis, though she felt he didn't understand women. She and Antony, her son were not close but they kept in touch. She was godmother to her friend Barbara Reynolds, when the latter became a Christian. Then in 1957, she went to town to do some Christmas shopping. On her return to Witham, she collapsed and died, inside her house. Her life was relatively short, she had neglected her health and over worked. But her achievements were extraordinary....