Dot Allan, born Eliza MacNaughton Luke Allan, (13 May 1886 – 3 December 1964) was a Scottish novelist and

freelance writer ''Freelance'' (sometimes spelled ''free-lance'' or ''free lance''), ''freelancer'', or ''freelance worker'', are terms commonly used for a person who is self-employed and not necessarily committed to a particular employer long-term. Freelance w ...

. Much of her work focused on class and gender issues in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

society during the early 20th century.

Biography

Allan was born in Denny, the only child of Jean Luke and Alexander Allan, an iron merchant. Her parents were affluent and middle-class, and she was privately educated before attending classes at the

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

. After her father's death, and while she was still a young woman, Allan and her widowed mother moved to the west end of Glasgow. She was described as a petite woman with a soft voice and a retiring disposition who hosted elegant afternoon teas. Allan enjoyed attending the theatre and began her writing career as a playwright. She later became a prolific freelance writer and journalist who had articles and short stories published regularly in a range of newspapers and periodicals. Despite finding both popular and critical success during the 1920s and 1930s, Allan abandoned her writing during both world wars to focus on

nursing Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health ...

and charity work. After the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, she continued to write, but her later works are regarded as less notable. Allan was a member of the Scottish

PEN A pen is a common writing instrument that applies ink to a surface, usually paper, for writing or drawing. Early pens such as reed pens, quill pens, dip pens and ruling pens held a small amount of ink on a nib or in a small void or cavity whic ...

and she used the organisation to distribute some of her inheritance to help financially support the work of other writers. She interviewed

Sarah Bernhardt Sarah Bernhardt (; born Henriette-Rosine Bernard; 22 or 23 October 1844 – 26 March 1923) was a French stage actress who starred in some of the most popular French plays of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including '' La Dame Aux Camel ...

when she visited Glasgow. Allan died of breast cancer in Glasgow in 1964.

Notable works

Allan published ten novels in total, including: * ''The Syrens'' (1921) * ''Makeshift'' (1928) * ''Deepening River'' (1932) * ''Hunger March'' (1934) * ''John Mathew, Papermaker'' (1948) * ''Charity Begins at Home'' (1958)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Allan, Dot 1886 births 1964 deaths Scottish women novelists Scottish political writers People from Falkirk (council area) Alumni of the University of Glasgow Scottish dramatists and playwrights Scottish journalists Women dramatists and playwrights Scottish women journalists