G.B. Lancaster(1873-1945)
- Writer
Edith Joan Lyttelton, who wrote under the pseudonym G. B. Lancaster,
was at one time New Zealand's most successful author. She was born at
Clyne Vale, a sheep station not far from Campbell Town in Tasmania, a
daughter of Westcote McNab Lyttleton and Emily Wood. Around 1879 her
father, who had managed Clyne Vale, moved his family to New Zealand
after assuming management of Rokeby, a sheep station south of
Christchurch.
Lyttleton's writing career began by submitting short stories to the New Zealand Illustrated Magazine. Because of her mother's view that it was unbecoming of women to be writers, she published these stories under the pseudonym Keron Hale. Later, after her real identity was revealed, she adopted the name, G. B. Lancaster, a character from her first successful story. She was the most prolific of the New Zealand contributors to The Australian and the Bulletin, by the time of her move to England in 1909, they had published at least sixty of her short stories.
Her first success, "The Law-Bringers", was published in 1913, she would go on to author 11 novels and over 250 short stories and other works. Amongst her more popular were "Pageant" (1933), which topped the best-seller chart in America for six months, "Promenade" (1938) and "Grand Parade" (1943). Her stories usually revolved around the legacy of imperialism and were set in colonial Australia, New Zealand or Canada.
During World War I she did volunteer work for the Red Cross in London and had assisted Dominion soldiers while they were on leave there. She also wrote several patriotic articles that appeared in newspapers of many allied nations.
Edith Joan Lyttleton died on 10 March, 1945 at London, after many months of declining health.
Lyttleton's writing career began by submitting short stories to the New Zealand Illustrated Magazine. Because of her mother's view that it was unbecoming of women to be writers, she published these stories under the pseudonym Keron Hale. Later, after her real identity was revealed, she adopted the name, G. B. Lancaster, a character from her first successful story. She was the most prolific of the New Zealand contributors to The Australian and the Bulletin, by the time of her move to England in 1909, they had published at least sixty of her short stories.
Her first success, "The Law-Bringers", was published in 1913, she would go on to author 11 novels and over 250 short stories and other works. Amongst her more popular were "Pageant" (1933), which topped the best-seller chart in America for six months, "Promenade" (1938) and "Grand Parade" (1943). Her stories usually revolved around the legacy of imperialism and were set in colonial Australia, New Zealand or Canada.
During World War I she did volunteer work for the Red Cross in London and had assisted Dominion soldiers while they were on leave there. She also wrote several patriotic articles that appeared in newspapers of many allied nations.
Edith Joan Lyttleton died on 10 March, 1945 at London, after many months of declining health.
