Arthur Wright (1870 – 19 December 1932) was an Australian writer best known for his novels set against a background of the sporting world, particularly horseracing, which meant he was often compared during his lifetime to

Nat Gould Nathaniel Gould (21 December 1857 – 25 July 1919), commonly known as Nat Gould, was a British novelist. History Gould was born at Manchester, Lancashire, the only surviving child of Nathaniel Gould, a tea merchant, and his wife Mary, ''née' ...

. In his lifetime he was called "Australia's most prolific novelist".

Biography

Wright was born in the small town of Green Swamp near Bathurst. His family lived in Bathurst, then Cow Flat before moving to Sydney. Wright was educated at Paddington Public School, worked for a sewing machine firm, then went bush for a few years, doing various odd jobs in places like the mines, shearing sheds and railways. He returned to Sydney and worked for the Water and Sewerage Board for eight years. While at the Water Board, Wright began to write in his spare time, and his short stories started appearing in magazines such as ''The Bulletin''. His first novel, ''

Keane of Kalgoorlie ''Keane of Kalgoorlie, or a Story of the Sydney Cup'' is a 1911 Australian silent film set in the racing and gambling circles of Sydney, based on a popular play by Edward William O'Sullivan and Arthur Wright, adapted from the novel by Wright. ...

'' was a big success, launching his career as a novelist. He wrote mainly for the

Bookstall series The Bookstall series was a series of books published by the NSW Bookstall Company from 1904 onwards. Among the novelists published under the series were Ambrose Pratt and Arthur Wright. The books were sold for one shilling and consisted of Austral ...

of the NSW Bookstall Company, which published Australian paperback novels aimed at the mass market and available for around one shilling a book. By 1914 it was estimated Wright had sold 60,000 copies of his books, but he continued to work as a

wharfinger Wharfinger (pronounced ''wor-fin-jer)'' is an archaic term for a person who is the keeper or owner of a wharf. The wharfinger takes custody of and is responsible for goods delivered to the wharf, typically has an office on the wharf or dock, and ...

in the Sydney suburb of Manly up until his death. He would work six days a week on the wharf for the Port Jackson and Manly Steamship Company, and write his novels on Sundays. Towards the end of his life Wright began to publish his work in London. His most popular novels were ''Keane of Kalgoorlie'', '' Gambler's Gold'' and '' Rogue's Luck''.

Death

Wright died in a private hospital in Manly. He was survived by his wife Elizabeth and seven children. He remained as an employee of the Port Jackson Ferry Company at the time of his death, and flags were flown at half mast on

Manly ferry Manly ferry services (numbered F1) operate on Sydney Harbour connecting the Sydney suburb of Manly with Circular Quay in the CBD a journey of seven nautical miles. History In 1853, Henry Gilbert Smith chartered the wooden paddle wheeler ' ...

as a sign of respect.

Filmmaking

Several of Wright's novels were filmed and he also wrote screenplays. In 1931 he wrote a piece on the Australian film industry:

To those who seek a market overseas for their product, I would say this: Apart from the
Great War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, it is sport which has placed Australia on the map. Australia is noted for its cricketers, its footballers, scullers, swimmers, and athletes generally, to say nothing of its horses and horsemen. Our native country is world-famous from a sporting viewpoint; then give the world pictures of the things in which we excel: show them our racecourses, our playing fields, our surfing beaches, and our racing craft on Sydney Harbour. Then the world will sit up and take notice.

Critical reception

Wright's work was not highly regarded critically at the time. This contemporary review of '' Gambler's Gold'' appeared in the ''West Australian'':

Judging from this latest publication by the author of 'Keane of Kalgoorlie', imaginative literature in Australia has got down to the deadest low water of spring-tide ebbs. The story is full of murders, horse-stealings, and turf frauds, drunks and welshers. This fact, however, does not invalidate the right to claim for the compilation Australian authenticity – all these things can be substantiated by police court reports in evening newspapers. The trouble is that there is no coherency in this wild and woolly farrago of delinquencies and stupidities. To outline the "plot" is practically impossible. The story drifts from one absurdity to another. There seems to be no possibility of rational connection between the events: there is certainly no emotional sentiment, no principle, no characterisation, no redeeming feature whatever in the crude production.

However another contemporary writer declared that:

Arthur Wright's sporting yarns have a real Australian ring about them. The villainies of the turf underworld are laid bare by his pen, and he never fails to secure a triumph for straight racing in the end. What this author doesn't know about the inner workings of the racing world is not worth learning. Through all his books the romance of love commands adequate attention but he doesn't dawdle over the subject. There is a directness in all his writings that permits no stumbling. His books lend themselves to dramatisation and to the biograph.

Another profile said "Wright cherishes no illusions about his work. He knows it is not Art. He seeks to climb no 'Parnassus of Pure Prose; nor does he wish to be buried in Westminster Abbey. He writes for the simple honest reason that he wants to make money." According to one obituary "Wright never claimed for his novels that they were for highbrows but he believed that they were capable of pleasing the multitude that loves sporting and detective fiction. In this belief he was justified."

Writings

Short stories

*''Dwyer's Sweep'' (1904) – in ''The Bulletin'' vol. 25 no. 1289 27 October 1904 periodical issue pg. v *''Old Bundaroo'' (1904) – in ''Steele Rudd's Magazine'' 7 May 1904 periodical issue pg. 23 *''A New Years Eve'' (1904) – in ''The Bulletin'' vol. 25 no. 1298 29 December 1904 periodical issue pg. 35 *''The Shearing of Skinng'' (1905) – in ''Steele Rudd's Magazine'' July 1905 periodical issue pg. 651-653 *''A Night on the Track'' (1905) – in ''Steele Rudd's Magazine'' October 1905 periodical issue pg. 838-840 *''Foster's Joke'' (1905) – in ''Steele Rudd's Magazine'' October 1905 periodical issue pg. 897-900 *''The Undoing of Johnson'' (1905) – in ''Steele Rudd's Magazine'' vol. 2 no. 11 December 1905 periodical issue pg. 1086–1089 *''Keane of Kalgoorlie'' (1906) *''A Whirlwind'' (1906) – in ''The Bulletin'
vol. 27 no. 1351 4 January 1906 periodical issue pg. 40
*''A Close Call'' (1906) – in ''The Australian Town and Country Journal'' vol. 73 no. 1918 7 November 1906 *''In Memoriam'' (1906) – in ''The Bulletin'
vol. 27 no. 1366 19 April 1906 periodical issue pg. 39
*''Paddy's Market Desperado'' (1906) – in ''The Bulletin'
vol. 27 no. 1380 26 July 1906
*''Graham's Old Man'' (1906) – in ''The Bulletin'' (Xmas edition) vol. 27 no. 1400 13 December 1906 *''A Penny Dreadful Victim'' (1907) *''The Stiffening of Quandong'' – in ''The Australian Town and Country Journal'' vol. 75 no. 1975 11 December 1907 *''A Christmas Eve'' (1908) – in ''The Bulletin'' (Xmas edition
vol. 29 no. 1504 10 December 1908
*''The Interference of Dinan'' (1909) – in ''The Bulletin'
vol. 30 no. 1521 8 April 1909
*''Black Talbot the Bushranger'' (1910) *''Her Desperate Plunge'' (1911) *''The Cardsharper'' (1918) *''A Call from the Country'' (1922)''A Call from the Country''
at

National Archives of Australia The National Archives of Australia (NAA), formerly known as the Commonwealth Archives Office and Australian Archives, is an Australian Government agency that serves as the national archives of the nation. It collects, preserves and encourages ...

Novels

*''

'' (1907) *'' A Rogue's Luck'' (1910) *'' Gambler's Gold'' (1911) *'' Rung In'' (1912) *''

In the Last Stride ''In the Last Stride'' is a 1916 Australian silent film directed by Martyn Keith based on the 1914 popular action novel by Arthur Wright. The film's star, Dave Smith, was a champion heavyweight boxer who had fought Les Darcy. There was also an ...

'' (1914) *'' A Sport from Hollowlog Flat'' (1915) – later adapted into a play *'' The Hate of a Hun'' (1916) *'' Under a Cloud'' (1916) *''

Over the Odds ''Over the Odds'' is a 1961 British comedy film directed by Michael Forlong and starring Marjorie Rhodes, Glenn Melvyn, Cyril Smith, Esma Cannon and Thora Hird and Wilfrid Lawson. The screenplay concerns a bookmaker who struggles to cope wi ...

'' (1918) *'' The Breed Holds Good'' (1918) *'' When Nuggets Glistened'' (1919) *'' The Outlaw's Daughter'' (1919) *'' A Game of Chance'' (1919) *''

A Rough Passage ''A Rough Passage'' is a 1922 Australian silent film directed by Franklyn Barrett based on the novel by Arthur Wright (writer), Arthur Wright. It was Barrett's final feature and is considered a lost film. Plot Laurie Larand (Hayford Hobbs) retu ...

'' (1920) *'' Fettered by Fate'' (1921) *'' The Boss o'Yedden'' (1922) *'' A Colt from the Country'' (1922) *'' The Boy from Bullarah'' (1925) *'' The Squatter's Secret'' (1927) *'' A Good Recovery'' (1928) *'' Gaming for Gold'' (1929) *'' A Crooked Game'' (1930)

Screenplay

*''

The Loyal Rebel ''The Loyal Rebel'' is a 1915 Australian silent film directed by Alfred Rolfe set against the background of the Eureka Rebellion. It is considered a lost film.Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper, ''Australian Film 1900–1977: A Guide to Feature Film P ...

'' (1915)

References

External links

Arthur Wright
at

National Film and Sound Archive The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA), known as ScreenSound Australia from 1999 to 2004, is Australia's audiovisual archive, responsible for developing, preserving, maintaining, promoting and providing access to a national co ...

Arthur Wright
at

Trove Trove is an Australian online library database owned by the National Library of Australia in which it holds partnerships with source providers National and State Libraries Australia, an aggregator and service which includes full text document ...

National Library of Australia The National Library of Australia (NLA), formerly the Commonwealth National Library and Commonwealth Parliament Library, is the largest reference library in Australia, responsible under the terms of the ''National Library Act 1960'' for "mainta ...

Selected complete short stories

''A Penny Dreadful Victim''
(1907)
''Black Talbot the Bushranger''
(1910)
''Her Desperate Plunge''
(1911)
''The Loyal Rebel''
(1915)
''The Cardsharper''
(1918)
''The Worst Woman in Wolloomooloo''
(1922) *''Winning Through'' (1924) �
Dec 20Dec 273 Jan10 Jan17 Jan24 Jan31 Jan7 Feb14 Feb21 Feb28 Feb7 March14 March21 March28 March4 April11 April18 April25 April2 May9 May
*''The White Terror'' (1928) �
24 July31 July7 August14 August21 August28 August4 Sept11 Sept18 Sept25 Sept2 Oct9 Oct16 Oct23 Oct30 Oct6 Nov13 Nov20 Nov27 Nov4 Dec11 Dec18 Dec

''When Equine Heroes Found A Watery Grave: A Cyclone of The 'Seventies''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wright, Arthur 1932 deaths 1870 births 20th-century Australian writers