C
CAINE, SIR THOMAS HENRY HALL
Novelist, Playwright & Non-Fiction writer. Phenomenally successful,
made a fortune from his novels. Left school at 14 to join an architect's
office but left in 1870 to live in the Isle of Man and help his
schoolteacher uncle.
He moved back to Liverpool and began to write. He made pregnant in 1884 Mary Chandler (aged 14) and later married her
CALDECOTT, RANDOLPH
Illustrator. Died of rheumatic fever in Florida
CALDECOTT AWARD, 1938-1974
Awarded each year by the American Library Association for an American children's picture book published in the preceding year
CANALS
CAPE, JONATHAN
Publishers founded in 1921 at Gower Street by Herbert Jonathan Cape
(1879-1960). At 30 Bedford Square, WC1 in 1950. 32 Bedford Square, WC1B
3EL in 1989. At 20 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London SW1V 2SA in 1997
CARLYLE, THOMAS
Prose writer and Essayist. Married Jane Welsh 1826
CARMAN, WILLIAM BLISS
Poet & Essayist. In 1897 met Mary Perry King and lived with the King family until his death
CARNEGIE MEDAL
Named after Andrew Carnegie. Awarded annually since 1936 for an
outstanding book for children written in English and published initially
in the UK during the preceding year.
CARR, JOHN DICKSON
Crime Novelist. Married Clarice Cleaves in 1932 and they moved to live in England, where Clarice came from
CARROLL, LEWIS
Novelist. Clergyman (ordained 1861)
CARTER, NICK
Detective-cum-agent. The books were written by many different writers over the years.
CARTOONS
CASSELL & CO LTD
Publishers founded in 1848 by John Cassell. In 1852 at La Belle Sauvage
Yard, Ludgate Hill. At 37-38 St Andrews Hill, EC4 in 1950. At Artillery
House, Artillery Row, SW1P 1RT in 1989. At Villiers House, 41-47 Strand,
London WC2 in 1994. At 125 Strand, London WC2R 0BB in 1997. Branches in
Melbourne, Sydney, Wellington & Toronto.
CASTLES OF ENGLAND & WALES
CATHER, WILLA SILBERT
Novelist, Poet & Short Story writer. Died of a Cerebral haemorrhage
CERVANTES, SAAVEDRA MIGUEL DE
Novelist & Dramatist. Only two of his plays survive. Enlisted in the
army of Philip II. Captured by Barbary pirates in 1575 he was ransomed
in 1580. Back in Madrid he took up dreary administrative posts, was
imprisoned for debt many times,
CHAPBOOKS
The best collections are in the British Museum, Bodleian Library &
Cambridge University Library. Harvard College Library has a fine
collection
CHASE, JAMES HADLEY
Novelist of crime stories
CHAUCER, GEOFFREY
The first great English Poet, the father of English Poetry (Dryden).
Married Philippa de Roet c 1366. Page at court to Elizabeth, Countess of
Ulster. Squire and apprentice knight serving in France with Edward III.
Controller of the Wool Custom in London 1374-86. In Parliament as
Knight of Kent. Royal Clerk of Works under Richard II. Buried in
Westminster Abbey
CHESS BOOKS : 15THC TO 20THC
CHESS BOOKS 1749-1875
CHESTERTON, GILBERT KEITH
Essayist, Novelist, and poet. Became a Catholic in 1922. Also a
competent amateur artist who illustrated several books by Hilaire
Belloc. Married Frances Blogg in 1901. From 1909 to 1935 he lived at
Overroads in Beaconsfield
CHEYNEY, PETER
Novelist and Crime novelist. Badly wounded at the 2nd Battle of the Somme in WW1
CHILDREN'S ILLUSTRATED CLASSICS
CHILDREN'S LITERATURE, BOOKS ON
CHRISTIE, AGATHA
Prolific Crime novelist. Married Col. Archibald Christie 1914. Divorced 1928. Married Max Mallowan (an archaeologist) 1930
CHURCHILL, SIR WINSTON LEONARD SPENCER
Novelist and statesman. Son of Lord Randolph Churchill. Nobel Literature
Prize 1953. Married Clementine Ogilvy Hozier in 1908. Prime Minister
1940-5 & 1951-5.
CLARE, JOHN
Labourer who became a poet. Married Martha Turner in 1820. Spent the
last 27 years of his life in asylums and died in St Andrew's County
Asylum, Northampton
COBBETT, WILLIAM
Political Writer, Reformer, Writer on Agriculture and traveller. Founded
the Weekly Political Register (1802-35), and The Porcupine (violently
anti-French). He became a bookseller in Philadelphia and in London
COLERIDGE, SAMUEL TAYLOR
Lake Poet & Critic. Married Sara Fricker in 1794. Addicted to opium in his later years
COLLINS, WILLIAM WILKIE
Practically the first English novelist to deal with the detection of
crime. Son of William Collins, the landscape painter. Creator of
Sergeant Cuff. He never married but Caroline Graves was his constant
companion. Addicted to opium from 1862
COLUM, PADRAIC
Poet, Novelist, Biographer and Dramatist. Married Mary Maguire in 1912,
they went to the USA 1914 and remained there for the rest of their lives
COMBE, WILLIAM
Satirical Poet, Hack writer, Translator, Ghost writer, Editor, a
fabricator of letters (esp those to or by Laurence Sterne). Employed as a
propagandist by the Pitt Govt from 1788-1806. Married Maria Foster in
1777 & Charlotte Hadfield in 1795. He was imprisoned for debt on
more than one occasion
COMPLEAT IMBIBER SERIES
COMPOSERS, BRITISH
CONAN DOYLE, SIR ARTHUR
Novelist & Science Fiction writer. Married Louise Hawkins (1885) and when she died, Jean Leckie (1907). Spiritualist
CONRAD, JOSEPH TEODOR JOZEF KO
Novelist. Parents exiled to France for political reasons. Became a
seaman in Marseilles in 1874, and in 1878 joined the British Merchant
Navy, becoming a Master Mariner in 1886, the same year he adopted
British citizenship. In 1893 he left the Navy and began to write.
Married Jessie George in 1896. He died of a heart attack at his home in
Kent
COOKSON, CATHERINE
Best selling novelist. In 1940 married Thomas Henry Cookson, a teacher.
In 1994 she was the most borrowed author from UK libraries
COOPER, JAMES FENIMORE
Novelist who produced stirring adventure stories. Squire pioneer
COPPARD, ALFRED EDGAR
Novelist, short story writer & Poet
CORELLI, MARIE
Romantic novelist. By 1895 it was rumoured she was earning £10,000 per
novel. For a short while, in terms of sales, she was the most popular
novelist in Britain. She bought a home in Stratford so as to compare
herself with Shakespeare and succeeded in becoming known as 'The Swan of
Avon'. Died of heart disease
COWARD, NOEL PIERCE
Actor, composer and playwright
COWPER, WILLIAM
Religious poet & Hymn Writer. Lived with the minister Morley Unwin
from 1765, and with Mary Unwin once her husband had died in 1767.
Suffered mentally from 1763 and was finally confined in an asylum at St
Albans
CRAIK, DINAH MARIA MULOCK
Novelist, Poet & Essayist. Married George Lillie Craik, a partner
in Macmillan publishing house, in 1865. Died of a Heart attack
CRANE, WALTER
Book Illustrator, textile, card and calendar designer. Apprenticed to a
London wood engraving firm, subsequently forming a successful
partnership with the printer, Edmund Evans. Shared William Morris's
artistic and political beliefs.
CRAWFORD, FRANCIS MARION
Novelist. Brother of Mrs Hugh Fraser. Reputedly spoke 16 languages and
travelled extensively. He was the most successful American novelist of
his time. Married Elizabeth Berdan in 1884. He lived in Sorrento from
1885
CREASEY, JOHN
The most prolific Crime Novelist ever. He wrote over 560 mysteries,
thrillers, Westerns and Action Books. Creator of Commander George
Gideon. He used over 20 pseudonyms. Founded the Crime Writer's Assoc in
1953. He married four times
CREELEY, ROBERT WHITE
Poet of the Black Mountain group. Novelist & storywriter. Lost the
use of his left eye in an accident before he was five years old. Married
Ann MacKinnon in 1946 (divorced 1955), Bobbie Hawkins in 1957 divorced
1976) & Penelope Highton in 1977. Died of Pneumonia
CRESSWELL, HELEN
Children's writer
CRICKET BOOKS
CRIME FICTION
CRIME WRITER'S ASSOCIATION
Founded in 1953 by John Creasey & Nigel Morland
CROFTS, FREEMAN WILLS
Novelist and Crime Novelist. Creator of Inspector French of Scotland
Yard, a diligent, plodding solver of crimes. Married Mary Canning in
1912
CROMPTON, RICHMAL
Children's writer & Novelist. Single. Contracted polio in 1923 and was forced to give up teaching and write full-time
CROMWELL, OLIVER
Puritan Soldier, Statesman and writer. Married Elizabeth Bourchier in
1620. When war broke out in 1642 he was recognised as the leading force
in Parliament. Became Commander-in-Chief in 1650 and Lord Protector in
1656. He died of a fever. In 1661 his body was disinterred and hanged on
the gallows at Tyburn
CROSSLEY-HOLLAND, KEVIN JOHN WILLIAM
Poet, writer, Translator, Broadcaster & Children's Writer (esp retelling of Anglo-Saxon legends)
CROWLEY, EDWARD ALEISTER
Novelist, poet and author of books on the occult & witchcraft. He
climbed in the Alps and led expeditions to K2 and Kanchenjunga in 1902
& 1905 respectively. Founded his own order, the Silver Star, and was
subsequently expelled from Italy after rumours of drugs, orgies and
death rites
CRUIKSHANK, GEORGE
Caricaturist and book illustrator. Strong supporter of the Temperance movement
CULT NOVELS
CUMBRIA & THE LAKE DISTRICT
CUNDALL, JOSEPH
Writer, Photographer & London publisher, esp of children's books. He
employed many of the best artists of the day as illustrators. Married
Sarah Ranson in 1845 (d.1868) & Emily Anne Thompson (d.1911). At his
death he left £1142 10s 9d
CUSTER, GENERAL GEORGE ARMSTRONG
Cavalry commander in the American West. Killed at the Battle of Little
Bighorn in June 1876 when the Sioux overhwhelmed 264 cavalrymen.
Following his death his wife Elizabeth (1842-1933) wrote books about
their life together