Description
Book SynopsisFamous Essex Authors, that you have never heard, that will in fact heard of. There are literally dozens of names that have been, sadly, forgotten over time. You may recognise some book titles, however (The French Lieutenant's Woman? One Hundred and One Dalmatians?). Some of the romance writers featured may not have famous names or even famous "titles" but they were so prolific and popular that they deserve to be foregrounded for their contribution to the world of books.Who knew, for instance, that a working class girl from Dagenham (Sheila Holland) would become so successful as a romantic novelist under her various pseudonyms that she went into tax exile on a mansion on the Isle of Man, or that a quiet introvert from Leigh-on-Sea was capable of writing raunchy novels about Arab sheikhs although she had never travelled beyond England (Violet Winspear). Then there is the impressive R.D.Wingfield, whose books about Detective Frost were a huge favourite of the author, revealed as being from Basildon, not far from her own home in Southend. Finding out why these people started writing, what motivated them, how they enjoyed success by using their lively imaginations, and how they sometimes struggled, has revealed a fascinating insight into the people of Essex. Even the 17th century aristocracy produced its memorable scribes with a Duchess from Colchester flaunting her exoticism and style with both the written and spoken word (Margaret Cavendish). Peppered throughout these pages are boxes featuring additional relevant trivia which should hopefully extend readers' knowledge of Essex authors and their works.Title includes a fold out map.
Table of Contents13 Douglas Adams 15 Margery Allingham 19 Sabine Baring-Gould 22 Nina Bawden 24 Arnold Bennett 27 Samuel Bensusan 30 Ursula Bloom 34 Robert Buchanan 37 Margaret Cavendish 40 Joseph Conrad 43 Warwick Deeping 46 Daniel Defoe 50 Henry de Vere Stacpoole 52 John Fowles 56 Margaret Gatty 58 Elinor Glyn 62 Eleanor Graham 64 James Hilton 67 Joseph Hocking 70 Sheila Holland 74 Fergus Hume 77 Harriett Jay 80 Sarah Kane 82 The Kernahans 85 Denise Levertov 87 William Morris 90 Arthur Morrison 93 Ruth Pitter 96 Francis Quarles 98 Roland Quittenton 100 Ruth Rendell 104 Dorothy Sayers 107 Dodie Smith 110 Susan Smythies 112 Joseph Strutt 114 The Taylors of Ongar 117 H.G.Wells 121 James Wentworth Day 122 R.D.Wingfield 125 Violet Winspear 128 William Winstanley 130 Mary Wollstonecraft 132 Lady Emma Caroline Wood 134 Lady Mary Wroth 136 The Authors Who Did Not Quite Make the Essex list - mainly because of short stays 139 Poetic Licence - well known figures with more tenuous links to Essex 143 Essex Links to Classical Literature - references to Essex in some of the classics 146 More Literary Connections to Essex - touches on playwrights, historians, and others connected to both writing and Essex 150 Conclusion
