Margaret Gabrielle Vere Long (née Campbell; 1 November 1885 – 23 December 1952), who used the pseudonyms Marjorie Bowen and Joseph Shearing, was a British author who wrote historical romances, supernatural horror stories, popular history and biography.
[Robert Hadji, "Marjorie Bowen" in Jack Sullivan (ed) (1986) ''The Penguin Encyclopedia of Horror and the Supernatural'': pp. 50–51.]
Life
Bowen was born in 1885 on
Hayling Island
Hayling Island is an island off the south coast of England, in the borough of Havant in the county of Hampshire, east of Portsmouth.
History
An Iron Age shrine in the north of Hayling Island was later developed into a Roman temple in the 1st c ...
in Hampshire. She had a difficult childhood; her alcoholic father Vere Douglas Campbell left the family at an early stage and was eventually found dead on a London street. She and her sister grew up in poverty with a less than affectionate mother.
["Long, Mrs. Gabrielle Margaret Vere (Campbell)", in Stanley J. Kunitz and Howard Haycraft, Twentieth Century Authors, A Biographical Dictionary of Modern Literature, (Third Edition). New York, The H.W. Wilson Company, 1950, (pp. 845–6)] Bowen studied at the
Slade School of Fine Art
The UCL Slade School of Fine Art (informally The Slade) is the art school of University College London (UCL) and is based in London, England. It has been ranked as the UK's top art and design educational institution. The school is organised as ...
and later in Paris.
Her first fiction was a violent historical novel, ''
The Viper of Milan'' (written when she was 16), set in medieval Italy.
''The Viper of Milan'' was rejected by several publishers, who considered it inappropriate for a young woman to have written such a novel.
It went on to become a best-seller when eventually published.
After this, Bowen's prolific writings were the chief financial support for her family.
She was married twice: first, from 1912 to 1916, to a
Sicilian, Zefferino Emilio Constanza, who died of
tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...
, and then to Arthur L. Long. Bowen had four children; a son and a daughter (who died in infancy) with Constanza, and two sons with Long.
Her son with Long,
Athelstan Charles Ethelwulf Long
Athelstan Charles Ethelwulf Long, CMG, CBE (2 January 1919 – 31 July 2019) was a British colonial administrator. He was commissioned into the Royal Artillery on the 24th February 1940. He was the Administrator, then Governor of the Cayman Island ...
, was a colonial administrator.
In 1938, Bowen was one of the signatories to a petition organised by the
National Peace Council The National Peace Council (NPC), founded in 1908 and disbanded in 2000, acted as the co-ordinating body for almost 200 groups across Britain, with a membership ranging from small village peace groups to national trade unions and local authorities. ...
, calling for an international peace conference in an effort to avert war in Europe.
In an interview for ''Twentieth Century Authors'', she listed her hobbies as "painting, needlework and reading".
Her cousin was the artist Nora Molly Campbell 1888-1971.
Bowen died on 23 December 1952 at the St Charles Hospital in Kensington, London after suffering serious concussion as a result of a fall in her bedroom.
Her son
Athelstan Charles Ethelwulf Long
Athelstan Charles Ethelwulf Long, CMG, CBE (2 January 1919 – 31 July 2019) was a British colonial administrator. He was commissioned into the Royal Artillery on the 24th February 1940. He was the Administrator, then Governor of the Cayman Island ...
was a colonial administrator.
Work
Her total output numbers over 150 volumes with the bulk of her work under the 'Bowen' pseudonym. She also wrote under the names Joseph Shearing, George R. Preedy, John Winch, Robert Paye and Margaret Campbell. After ''The Viper of Milan'' (1906), she produced a steady stream of writings until the day of her death. Bowen's work under her own name was primarily historical novels. Bowen crafted a trilogy of historical novels about
King William III
William III (William Henry; ; 4 November 16508 March 1702), also widely known as William of Orange, was the sovereign Prince of Orange from birth, Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel in the Dutch Republic from the ...
. The novels are ''I Will Maintain'' (1910), ''Defender of the Faith'' (1911), and ''God and the King'' (1911). The 1909 novel ''Black Magic'' is a Gothic horror novel about a medieval witch." Bowen also wrote non-fiction history books aimed at a popular readership.
Under the pseudonym "Joseph Shearing", Bowen wrote several mystery novels inspired by true-life crimes. For instance, ''For Her to See'' (1947, AKA ''So Evil My Love'') is a fictionalised version of the
Charles Bravo murder.
[Jane W. Stedman, "Shearing, Joseph" in ''Twentieth Century Crime and Mystery Writers'', edited by James Vinson and D.L. Kirkpatrick. St. James Press, 1985. (pp. 797–801).] The Shearing novels were especially popular in the United States, ''
Moss Rose
Moss Rose, known as The Leasing.com Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a football stadium in Macclesfield, Cheshire, England, which is the home ground of Macclesfield F.C., and the former home of Macclesfield Town, a club wound up in September ...
'', ''The Golden Violet'' and ''Forget-Me-Not'' achieving both critical and commercial success, being championed by reviewers such as
Phil Stong
Philip Duffield Stong (January 27, 1899 – April 26, 1957) was an American author, journalist and Hollywood scenarist. He is best known for the 1932 novel ''State Fair'', which was adapted as a film three times ( 1933, 1945 and 1962) and as a B ...
.
["Shearing, Joseph", in Stanley J. Kunitz and Howard Haycraft, ''Twentieth Century Authors, A Biographical Dictionary of Modern Literature'', (Third Edition). New York, The H.W. Wilson Company, 1950, (pp. 845–6)] Until the late 1940s, the true identity of Shearing was not known to the general public, and some speculated it was the pseudonym of
F. Tennyson Jesse.
Under the "George R. Preedy" pseudonym, she wrote two non-supernatural horror novels, ''Dr. Chaos'' and ''The Devil Snar'd''. Her last, posthumous, novel was ''The Man with the Scales (1954)''; it is about a man obsessed with revenge, and contains supernatural elements reminiscent of
E. T. A. Hoffmann. Many of these stories were published as
Berkley Medallion Books. Several of her books were adapted as films. Bowen's supernatural short fiction was gathered in three collections: ''The Last Bouquet'' (1933), ''The Bishop of Hell'', (1949) (featuring an introduction by
Michael Sadleir
Michael Sadleir (25 December 1888 – 13 December 1957), born Michael Thomas Harvey Sadler, was a British publisher, novelist, book collector, and bibliographer.
Biography
Michael Sadleir was born in Oxford, England, the son of Sir Michael ...
) and the posthumous ''Kecksies'', edited for
Arkham House
Arkham House is an American publishing house specializing in weird fiction. It was founded in Sauk City, Wisconsin, in 1939 by August Derleth and Donald Wandrei to publish hardcover collections of H. P. Lovecraft's best works, which had ...
in the late 1940s, but not actually published until 1976.
Critical reception
Bowen's books are much sought after by aficionados of gothic horror and received praise from critics.
Graham Greene
Henry Graham Greene (2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) was an English writer and journalist regarded by many as one of the leading English novelists of the 20th century. Combining literary acclaim with widespread popularity, Greene acquir ...
stated in his ''
Paris Review
''The Paris Review'' is a quarterly English-language literary magazine established in Paris in 1953 by Harold L. Humes, Peter Matthiessen, and George Plimpton. In its first five years, ''The Paris Review'' published works by Jack Kerouac, Phil ...
'' interview (Autumn 1953), "I chose Marjorie Bowen
s a major influencebecause as I have told you, I don't think that the books that one reads as an adult influence one as a writer... But books such as Marjorie Bowen's, read at a young age, do influence one considerably." Horror reviewer Robert Hadji described Bowen as "one of the great supernatural writers of this century".
Fritz Leiber
Fritz Reuter Leiber Jr. ( ; December 24, 1910 – September 5, 1992) was an American writer of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. He was also a poet, actor in theater and films, playwright, and chess expert. With writers such as Rober ...
referred to "Marjorie Bowen's brilliant ''Black Magic''".
Jessica Amanda Salmonson
Jessica Amanda Salmonson (born January 6, 1950 John Clute and John Grant,Salmonson, Jessica Amanda, in ''The Encyclopedia of Fantasy'', pp. 832–833, Orbit, London / St Martin’s Press, New York (1997).) is an American author and editor of fan ...
, discussing ''The Last Bouquet'', described Bowen's prose as "stylish and moody, dramatic to the highest degree" and stated "what in other hands is merely tacky or gross is, from Marjorie Bowen, a superior art, chilling and seductive".
Sally Benson
Sally Benson ('' née'' Sara Smith; September 3, 1897 – July 19, 1972) was an American writer of short stories and screenwriter. She is best known for her humorous tales of modern youth collected in '' Junior Miss'' and her semi-autobiographica ...
in ''
The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
'', discussing the "Joseph Shearing" books: "Mr Shearing is a painstaking researcher, a superb writer, a careful technician, and a master of horror. There is no one else quite like him".
Reviewing ''
The Crime of Laura Sarelle
''The Crime of Laura Sarelle'' is a 1940 novel by the British author Marjorie Bowen, published under the pen name Joseph Shearing.Vinson p.92 The original title was simply ''Laura Sarelle''. A Gothic story, it takes place in Ireland
Irel ...
''
Will Cuppy
William Jacob Cuppy (August 23, 1884 – September 19, 1949) was an American humorist and literary critic, known for his satirical books about nature and historical figures.
Early life
Cuppy was born in Auburn, Indiana. He was named "Will" i ...
stated "Those who want a good workout of the more perilous emotions will do well to read Mr. Shearing's impressive tale of love, death and doom... Join the Shearing cult and meet one of the most malevolent females in song or story".
In an article about women writers, the Australian newspaper ''
The Courier-Mail
''The Courier-Mail'' is an Australian newspaper published in Brisbane. Owned by News Corp Australia, it is published daily from Monday to Saturday in tabloid format. Its editorial offices are located at Bowen Hills, in Brisbane's inner northe ...
'' described Bowen as "one of the best of our modern novelists".
Sheldon Jaffery Sheldon Jaffery (April 22, 1934 – July 10, 2003) was an American bibliographer. An attorney by profession, he was an aficionado of'' Weird Tales'' magazine, Arkham House books, the weird menace pulps, and related topics.
He died in 2003 of ...
stated that Bowen's "
weird fiction
Weird fiction is a subgenre of speculative fiction originating in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Weird fiction either eschews or radically reinterprets ghosts, vampires, werewolves, and other traditional antagonists of supernatural horr ...
ranks favorably with such distaff portrayers of the supernatural as
Mary Wilkins-Freeman,
Edith Wharton and
Lady Cynthia Asquith
Lady Cynthia Mary Evelyn Asquith (née Charteris; 27 September 1887 – 31 March 1960) was an English writer and socialite, known for her ghost stories and diaries.Richard Dalby, ''The Virago Book of Ghost Stories''.Virago, London, , 1987 (p. 2 ...
." By contrast,
Colin Wilson
Colin Henry Wilson (26 June 1931 – 5 December 2013) was an English writer, philosopher and novelist. He also wrote widely on true crime, mysticism and the paranormal, eventually writing more than a hundred books. Wilson called his phil ...
's view of Bowen's work was negative: in a review of ''A Sort of Life'' by
Grahame Greene, Wilson dismissed Bowen as a writer of "bad adventure stories".
Adaptations
*Writing as Marjorie Bowen,
[''Nell Gwyn: A Decoration'', by Marjorie Bowen, Hodder and Stoughton, London, 1926. This book was ''not'' written under the pen name, Joseph Shearing] her 1926 novel ''
Mistress Nell Gwyn'' was made into a film ''
Nell Gwyn'' the same year directed by
Herbert Wilcox
Herbert Sydney Wilcox CBE (19 April 1890 – 15 May 1977) was a British film producer and director.
He was one of the most successful British filmmakers from the 1920s to the 1950s. He is best known for the films he made with his third wif ...
and starring
Dorothy Gish
Dorothy Elizabeth Gish (March 11, 1898June 4, 1968) was an American actress of the screen and stage, as well as a director and writer. Dorothy and her older sister Lillian Gish were major movie stars of the silent era. Dorothy also had great s ...
and
Randle Ayrton
Frederick Randle Ayrton (9 August 1869 – 28 May 1940) was a British actor of stage and screen, and was also a producer and director.
Early life
Ayrton was born in Chester to William Frances Ayrton, a wealthy wine-merchant who was a p ...
.
*Writing as George Preedy, her 1928 novel, ''
General Crack
''General Crack'' is a 1929 American pre-Code part-talkie historical costume melodrama with Technicolor sequences which was directed by Alan Crosland and produced and distributed by Warner Bros. It was filmed and premiered in 1929, and release ...
'', was adapted as the film ''
General Crack
''General Crack'' is a 1929 American pre-Code part-talkie historical costume melodrama with Technicolor sequences which was directed by Alan Crosland and produced and distributed by Warner Bros. It was filmed and premiered in 1929, and release ...
'' (1930), starring
John Barrymore
John Barrymore (born John Sidney Blyth; February 14 or 15, 1882 – May 29, 1942) was an American actor on stage, screen and radio. A member of the Drew and Barrymore theatrical families, he initially tried to avoid the stage, and briefly att ...
*Writing as Joseph Shearing, her 1934 novel, ''
Moss Rose
Moss Rose, known as The Leasing.com Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a football stadium in Macclesfield, Cheshire, England, which is the home ground of Macclesfield F.C., and the former home of Macclesfield Town, a club wound up in September ...
'', was adapted as the film ''
Moss Rose
Moss Rose, known as The Leasing.com Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a football stadium in Macclesfield, Cheshire, England, which is the home ground of Macclesfield F.C., and the former home of Macclesfield Town, a club wound up in September ...
'' (1947)
*Writing as Joseph Shearing her 1939 novel, ''
Blanche Fury
''Blanche Fury'' is a 1948 British Technicolor drama film directed by Marc Allégret and starring Valerie Hobson, Stewart Granger and Michael Gough. It was adapted from a 1939 novel of the same title by Joseph Shearing. In Victorian era Englan ...
'' was adapted as the film ''
Blanche Fury
''Blanche Fury'' is a 1948 British Technicolor drama film directed by Marc Allégret and starring Valerie Hobson, Stewart Granger and Michael Gough. It was adapted from a 1939 novel of the same title by Joseph Shearing. In Victorian era Englan ...
'' (1948)
*Writing as Marjorie Bowen, her 1943 novel ''
Airing in a Closed Carriage'' was adapted as the film ''
The Mark of Cain
The curse of Cain and the mark of Cain are phrases that originated in the story of Cain and Abel in the Book of Genesis. In the stories, if someone harmed Cain, the damage would come back sevenfold. Some interpretations view this as a physica ...
'' (1947)
*Writing as Joseph Shearing, her 1947 novel ''So Evil My Love'' was adapted as the film ''
So Evil My Love
''So Evil My Love'' is a 1948 British and American Gothic psychological thriller film directed by Lewis Allen and starring Ray Milland, Ann Todd and Geraldine Fitzgerald.
''So Evil My Love'' is a period drama set in the Victorian era, and shot ...
'' (1948)
Works
As Marjorie Bowen
*''
The Viper of Milan'' (1906)
*''
The Master of Stair'' (US title ''The Glen o' Weeping'') (1907)
*''The Sword Decides'' (1908)
*''A Moment's Madness'' (1908)
*''The Leopard and the Lily'' (1909)
*''Black Magic: a Tale of the Rise and Fall of the Antichrist'' (1909)
*''I Will Maintain'' (1910, Revised 1943)
*''God and the King'' (1911)
*''Defender of the Faith'' (1911)
*''God's Playthings'' (1912)
*''Lover's Knots'' (1912)
*''The Rake's Progress'' (1912)
*''The Quest of Glory'' (1912)
*''The Governor of England'' (1913)
*''A Knight of Spain'' (1913)
*''The Two Carnations'' (1913)
*''Prince and Heretic'' (1914)
*''Because of These Things'' (1915)
*''Mr Washington'' (US title ''The Soldier from Virginia'') (1915)
*''The Carnival of Florence'' (1915)
*''Shadows of Yesterday'' (1916) – short stories
*''William, by Grace of God'' (1916)
*''Curious Happenings'' (1917) – short stories
*''The Third Estate'' (1917); Revised edition, ''Eugenie'', (1971)
*''Kings-at-Arms'' (1918)
*''The Burning Glass'' (1918)
*''Crimes of Old London'' (1919) – short stories
*''Mr Misfortunate'' (1919)
*''The Cheats, A Romantic Fantasy'' (1920)
*''The Pleasant Husband and other stories'' (1921)
*''Roccoco'' (1921)
*''The Haunted Vintage'' (1921)
*''The Jest''. From "La Cena delle beffe" by
Sem Benelli
Sem Benelli (August 10, 1877 – December 18, 1949) was an Italian playwright, essayist and librettist. He provided the texts for several noted Italian operas, including Italo Montemezzi's ''L'amore dei tre re'' and ''L'incantesimo'', and Umber ...
. Rendered into English and put into novel form by M. Bowen (1922)
*''Affairs of Men'' (selections from Bowen's novels (1922)
*''Stinging Nettles'' (1923) – a semi-autobiographical novel relating to Bowen's doomed marriage to Zefferino
*''Seeing Life! and Other Stories'' (1923)
*''The Presence and the Power: A Story of Three Generations'' (1924)
*''The Leopard and the Lily'' (1925)
*''Five People'' (1925)
*''"Luctor et Emergo": being an historical essay on the state of England at the
Peace of Ryswyck'', 1697. – history (1926)
*''Boundless Water'' (1926)
*''The Seven Deadly Sins: Tales'' (1926)
*''
Mistress Nell Gwyn''
(UK title: Nell Gwyn: A Decoration) (1926)
*''The Netherlands Display'd'' – Non-fiction
*''"Five Winds"'' (1927)
*''The Pagoda'' (1927)
*''Dark Ann'' (1927) – short stories
*''Exits and Farewells'' (1928)
*''The Golden Roof'' (1928)
*''The Story of the Temple and its Associations'' (1928)
*''The Countess Fanny'' (1928)
*''Holland'' (1928) – a tourist's guide to the Netherlands
*''William, prince of Orange (afterwards king of England) : being an account of his early life up to his twenty-fourth year'' (1928)
*''Sundry Great Gentlemen'' (1928) – biographies
*''The Winged Trees'' (1928)
*''Sheep's Head and Babylon, and Other Stories of Yesterday and Today'' (1929) – short stories
*''The Third Mary Stuart, Mary of York, Orange and England'' (1929)
*''
Dickon
Dickon is an English masculine given name.
The name "Dickon" is derived from the old English name for Richard. Unlike Richard, Dickon is rarely shortened to Dick or Dickie, as it is already commonly considered a short form of the same name.
The ...
'' (1929)
*''The Gorgeous Lovers and other Tales'' (1929)
*''Mademoiselle Maria Gloria'' by Bowen, with ''The Saving of Castle Malcolm''. By Madeleine Nightingale. (1929)
*''The Great Weird Stories'' (1929) (editor) (as Arthur Neale)
*''The Lady's Prisoner'' by Bowen, with ''The Story of Mr. Bell''. by Geoffrey M. Boumphrey (1929)
*''A Family Comedy (1840)'' (1930)
*''Bagatelle and some other diversions'' (1930)
*''Captain Banner: a drama in three acts'' (1930)
*''Exits and Farewells: Being some account of the last days of certain historical characters'' (1930)
*''The English Paragon'' (1930)
*''Old Patch's Medley; or, a London miscellany'' (1930) – short stories
*''The Question'' (1931)
*''Brave Employments'' (1931)
*''Withering Fires'' (1931) – mystery novel
*''Grace Latouche and the Warringtons'' (1931) – short stories
*''The Shadow on Mockways'' (1932) – a
Grand Guignol
''Le Théâtre du Grand-Guignol'' (: "The Theatre of the Great Puppet")—known as the Grand Guignol–was a theatre in the Pigalle district of Paris (7, cité Chaptal). From its opening in 1897 until its closing in 1962, it specialised in natura ...
melodrama
*''Fond Fancy, and Other Stories'' (1932)
*''Passion Flower'' (1932), AKA ''Beneath the Passion Flower'' (USA, 1932) As George Preedy
*''Idler's Gate'' (1932) as John Winch
*''Dark Rosaleen'' (1932; abridged as ''Lord Edward in Command'', 1937)
*''The Veil'd Delight'' (1933)
*''Great Tales of Horror'' (1933) (editor)
*''The Last Bouquet, Some Twilight Tales'' (1933) – short stories
*''I Dwelt in High Places'' (1933) – a novel based on the Elizabethan scientist
John Dee's involvement with
Edward Kelley
Sir Edward Kelley or Kelly, also known as Edward Talbot (; 1 August 1555 – 1597/8), was an English Renaissance occultist and scryer. He is best known for working with John Dee in his magical investigations. Besides the professed ability to ...
*''The Stolen Bride'' (1933, Abridged Edition 1946)
*''"Set with Green Herbs"'' (1933)
*''The Triumphant Beast'' (1934)
*''
The Scandal of Sophie Dawes'' (1934) – about the low-born courtesan
Sophie Dawes, Baronne de Feuchères
Sophie Dawes (29 September 1790 – 15 December 1840), '' Baroness de Feuchères'' by marriage, was an English "adventuress" best known as a mistress of Louis Henry II, Prince of Condé.
Early life
Dawes was born in 1790 at St Helens, Isle o ...
, described by Bowen as a "vulgar wanton", "a young slut" and a "gutter rat"
Worthless Wanton
/ref>
*''William III and the Revolution of 1688'' (1934)
*''Peter Porcupine : a study of William Cobbett, 1762–1835'' (1935)
*''Patriotic Lady. A study of Emma, Lady Hamilton, and the Neapolitan Revolution of 1799'' (1935)
*''More Great Tales of Horror'' (1935) (editor)
*''Mary Queen of Scots:Daughter of Debate'' (1936)
*''William Hogarth'' (1936)
*''Trumpets at Rome'' (1936)
*''Crowns and sceptres: the romance and pageantry of Coronations'' (1937)
*''Worlds' Wonder and Other Essays'' (1937)
*''This Shining Woman: Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin'' (1937) – a biography of Mary Wollstonecraft
Mary Wollstonecraft (, ; 27 April 1759 – 10 September 1797) was a British writer, philosopher, and advocate of women's rights. Until the late 20th century, Wollstonecraft's life, which encompassed several unconventional personal relationsh ...
*''Some Famous Love Letters'' (1937) (editor)
*''Wrestling Jacob. A study of the life of John Wesley
John Wesley (; 2 March 1791) was an English people, English cleric, Christian theology, theologian, and Evangelism, evangelist who was a leader of a Christian revival, revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism. The soci ...
and some members of the family.'' (1937)
*''Royal Pageantry'' (1937)
*''God and the Wedding Dress'' (1938)
*''The Trumpet and the Swan: an adventure of the Civil War'' (1938)
*''A Giant in Chains: Prelude to Revolution: France 1775–1791'' (1938)
*''Mr. Tyler's Saints'' (1939)
*''The Circle in the Water'' (1939)
*''The Debate Continues: being the Autobiography of Marjorie Bowen'' (1939) (as Margaret Campbell)
*''Ethics in Modern Art'' (1939)
*''Exchange Royal'' (1940)
*''Strangers to Freedom'' (1940) Illustrated by Gina Dawson
*''Today is Mine: The story of a gamble'' (1941)
*'' Airing in a Closed Carriage'' (1943) – adapted as the film ''The Mark of Cain
The curse of Cain and the mark of Cain are phrases that originated in the story of Cain and Abel in the Book of Genesis. In the stories, if someone harmed Cain, the damage would come back sevenfold. Some interpretations view this as a physica ...
'' (1947)
*''The Church and Social Progress : An exposition of rationalism and reaction'' (1945)
*''The Bishop of Hell and Other Stories'' (1949) – selected supernatural stories from her earlier output;reprinted in 2006 by Wordsworth Editions
*''In the steps of Mary Queen of Scots'' (1952)
*''The Man with the Scales'' (1954) – published posthumously
*''Kecksies and Other Twilight Tales
''Kecksies and Other Twilight Tales'' is a collection of stories by British writer Marjorie Bowen. It was released in 1976 and was the author's first collection of stories published in the United States. It was published by Arkham House
A ...
'' (1976) – short stories
**"Preface"; "The Hidden Ape"; "Kecksies"; "Raw Material"; "The Avenging of Ann Leete"; "The Crown Derby Plate"; "The Sign-Painter and the Crystal Fishes"; "Scoured Silk"; "The Breakdown"; "One Remained Behind"; "The House by the Poppy Field"; "Florence Flannery"; "Half-Past Two"
*''Gustavus Adolphus II (1594–1632) : elected King of Sweden, of the Goths and Vandals'' (1988)
*''Twilight and Other Supernatural Romances'' (1998) – published by Ash-Tree Press
Ash-Tree Press is a Canadian company that publishes supernatural and horror literature.
The press has reprinted notable collections of ghostly stories by such writers as R. H. Malden, A. N. L. Munby, L. T. C. Rolt, Margery Lawrence, and El ...
**Preface: "Marjorie Bowen 1885–1952: Some Random Recollections by One of Her Sons"; Introduction by Jessica Amanda Salmonson
Jessica Amanda Salmonson (born January 6, 1950 John Clute and John Grant,Salmonson, Jessica Amanda, in ''The Encyclopedia of Fantasy'', pp. 832–833, Orbit, London / St Martin’s Press, New York (1997).) is an American author and editor of fan ...
: "The Supernatural Romances of Marjorie Bowen"; "Dark Ann"; "The Last Bouquet"; "Madam Spitfire"; "The Lady Clodagh"; "Decay"; "The Fair Hair of Ambrosine'; "Ann Mellor's Lover"; "Giudetta's Wedding Night"; "Twilight"; "The Burning of the Vanities"; "A Stranger Knocked"; "They Found My Grave"; "Brent's Folly"; "The Confession of Beau Sekforde"; "The Recluse and Springtime"; "Vigil"; "Julia Roseingrave"; Author's Afterword: "A Ghostly Experience: The Presence of Evil"
*''Collected Twilight Stories'' (2010) – published by Oxford City Press
**"Scoured Silk"; "The Breakdown"; "One Remained Behind – A Romance a la Mode Gothique"; "The House by the Poppy Field"; "Half-Past Two"; "Elsie's Lonely Afternoon"; "The Extraordinary Adventure of Mr John Proudie"; "Ann Mellor's Lover"; "Florence Flannery"; "Kecksies"; "The Avenging of Ann Leete"; "The Bishop of Hell"; "The Crown Derby Plate"; "The Fair Hair of Ambrosine"; "The Housekeeper"; "Raw Material"; "The Hidden Ape"; "The Sign-Painter and the Crystal Fishes"
As Joseph Shearing
*''Forget-me-Not'' (1932) aka ''Lucile Clery'' (USA 1930) and ''The Strange Cast of Lucile Clery'' (USA) (1942)
*'' Album Leaf'' (1933) aka ''The Spider in the Cup'' (USA 1934)
*''Moss Rose
Moss Rose, known as The Leasing.com Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a football stadium in Macclesfield, Cheshire, England, which is the home ground of Macclesfield F.C., and the former home of Macclesfield Town, a club wound up in September ...
'' (1934)
*''The Angel of the Assassination'' (1935) – Non-fiction (biography of Charlotte Corday)
*''The Golden Violet. The story of a lady novelist.'' (1936) Reprinted as ''Night's Dark Secret'' by Margaret Campbell, (1975)
*''The Lady and the Arsenic: The life and death of a romantic: Marie Cappelle, Madam Lafarge'' (1937) – Non-fiction
*''Orange Blossoms'' (1938) – short stories
*''Blanche Fury
''Blanche Fury'' is a 1948 British Technicolor drama film directed by Marc Allégret and starring Valerie Hobson, Stewart Granger and Michael Gough. It was adapted from a 1939 novel of the same title by Joseph Shearing. In Victorian era Englan ...
'' (1939)
*''Aunt Beardie.'' 1940
*''The Crime of Laura Sarelle
''The Crime of Laura Sarelle'' is a 1940 novel by the British author Marjorie Bowen, published under the pen name Joseph Shearing.Vinson p.92 The original title was simply ''Laura Sarelle''. A Gothic story, it takes place in Ireland
Irel ...
'' (1941)
*''The Spectral Bride'' also known as ''The Fetch'' (1942)
*'' Airing in a Closed Carriage'' (1943)
*''The Abode of Love'' (1944)
*''For Her to See.'' (1947) aka ''So Evil My Love'' (USA, 1947) – adapted as the film ''So Evil My Love
''So Evil My Love'' is a 1948 British and American Gothic psychological thriller film directed by Lewis Allen and starring Ray Milland, Ann Todd and Geraldine Fitzgerald.
''So Evil My Love'' is a period drama set in the Victorian era, and shot ...
'' (1948)
*''Mignonette'' (1949)
*''Within the Bubble'' (1950) aka ''The Heiress of Frascati'' (USA, 1966)
*''To Bed at Noon'' (1951)
As George R. Preedy
*''General Crack
''General Crack'' is a 1929 American pre-Code part-talkie historical costume melodrama with Technicolor sequences which was directed by Alan Crosland and produced and distributed by Warner Bros. It was filmed and premiered in 1929, and release ...
'' (1928)
*''The Rocklitz'' (UK) aka ''The Prince's Darling'' (USA) (1930)
*''Bagatelle and some other Diversions'' – Short Stories (1930)
*''Tumult in the North'' 1930
*''The Pavilion of Honour'' 1932
*''Violante: Circe and Ermine'' 1932
*''Double Dallilay'' aka ''Queen's Caprice'' (USA) (1933)
*''Dr. Chaos and the Devil Snar'd'' (1933)
*''The Knot Garden: Some Old Fancies Re-Set'' (1933)
*''The Autobiography of Cornelius Blake, 1773–1810, of Ditton See, Cambridgeshire'' (1934)
*''Laurell'd Captains'' (1935)
*''The Poisoners
''The Poisoners'' was the first Matt Helm novel of the 1970s. It was first published in 1971, as the thirteenth novel in the spy series by Donald Hamilton.
Plot summary
After a novice secret agent (Annette from ''The Menacers
''The Menacers'', ...
'' (1936)
*''My Tattered Loving'' (1937, reprinted in 1971 as ''The King's Favourite'' by MB)
*''Painted Angel'' (1938)
*''Child of chequer'd fortune : The life, loves and battles of Maurice de Saxe
Maurice, Count of Saxony (german: Hermann Moritz von Sachsen, french: Maurice de Saxe; 28 October 1696 – 20 November 1750) was a notable soldier, officer and a famed military commander of the 18th century. The illegitimate son of Augustus I ...
, Marechal de France'' (1939) – Non-fiction
*''Dove in the Mulberry Tree'' (1939)
*''The Fair Young Widow'' 1939
*''Primula (1940)
*''Black Man – White Maiden'' (1941)
*''Findernes' Flowers'' (1941)
*''Lyndley Waters'' (1942)
*''Lady in a Veil'' (1943)
*''The Fourth Chamber'' (1944)
*''Nightcap and Plume'' (1945)
*''No Way Home'' (1947)
*''The Sacked City'' (1949)
*''Julia Ballantyne'' (1952)
As Robert Paye
*''The Devil's Jig'' (1930)
*''Julia Roseingrave'' (1933) – supernatural fiction involving witchcraft
References
Sources
*
*
Further reading
*Pamela Cleaver, "Bowen, Marjorie" in Lesley Henderson, D. L. Kirkpatrick (eds.) ''Twentieth-Century Romance and Historical Writers''. Chicago : St. James Press, 1990. .
*Edward Wagenknecht
Edward (Charles) Wagenknecht (March 28, 1900 – May 24, 2004) was an American literary critic and teacher who specialized in 19th century American literature. He wrote and edited many books on literature and movies, and taught for many years at ...
, "Marjorie Bowen" in ''Seven Masters of Supernatural Fiction''. New York: Greenwood, 1991. .
*Brian Stableford
Brian Michael Stableford (born 25 July 1948) is a British academic, critic and science fiction writer who has published more than 70 novels. His earlier books were published under the name Brian M. Stableford, but more recent ones have dropped ...
, "Bowen, Marjorie" in David Pringle
David Pringle (born 1 March 1950) is a Scottish science fiction editor and critic.
Pringle served as the editor of '' Foundation'', an academic journal, from 1980 to 1986, during which time he became one of the prime movers of the collective whi ...
(ed), ''St. James Guide to Horror, Ghost and Gothic Writers''. London : St. James Press, 1998,
*William Charlton, "She of Many Names", '' Wormwood'' Magazine 9, Autumn 2007
*Mike Barrett, "Dark and Sinister Shades: The Twilight Tales of Marjorie Bowen", The New York Review of Science Fiction
''The New York Review of Science Fiction'' is a monthly literary magazine of science fiction that was established in 1988. It includes works of science fiction criticism, essays, and in-depth critical reviews of new works of fiction and scholarsh ...
July 2010 (No. 263).
*John C. Tibbetts, ''The Furies of Marjorie Bowen''. Jefferson, North Carolina : McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, 2019, . Introduction by Michael Dirda
Michael Dirda (born 1948) is a book critic for the ''Washington Post''. He has been a Fulbright Fellow and won a Pulitzer Prize in 1993.
Career
Having studied at Oberlin College for his undergraduate degree in 1970, Dirda took an M.A. in 1974 a ...
.
External links
* Marjorie Bowen Papers. General Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library.
The Life of Marjorie Bowen (archived)
Electronic editions
*
*
*
*
Works
a
Open Library
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bowen, Marjorie
1885 births
1952 deaths
20th-century British short story writers
20th-century English novelists
20th-century English historians
20th-century English women writers
British women historians
British women short story writers
English women non-fiction writers
English women novelists
English short story writers
English horror writers
English historical novelists
English mystery writers
English romantic fiction writers
Ghost story writers
People from Hayling Island
Weird fiction writers
Women historical novelists
Women horror writers
Women mystery writers
Women romantic fiction writers
Writers of Gothic fiction
Writers of historical fiction set in the early modern period
Writers of historical fiction set in the Middle Ages
Writers of historical romances