S
SACKVILLE-WEST, VICTORIA (VITA)
Novelist & Poet. Only child of the 3rd Lord Sackville. Married the
diplomat Harold Nicolson 1913. Had a passionate affair with Violette
Trefusis in 1918, who married Denys Trefusis in 1919 to suppress the
scandal. She lived at Sissinghurst in Kent
SAROYAN, WILLIAM
Novelist, Short Story Writer, Playwright
SASSOON, SIEGFRIED (LORRAINE)
Poet. Noted for his hatred of war. Served in WW1. Became a Catholic 1957. Married Hester Getty in 1933
SAUNDERS, HILARY ST GEORGE
Crime Novelist & Historian. Died of asthma
SAVILLE, LEONARD MALCOLM
Children's writer
SAYERS, DOROTHY LEIGH
Novelist & detective writer. Creator of Lord Peter Wimsey. Married
Oswald Arthur Fleming in 1926. In 1947 she stopped writing detective
novels and concentrated on translating Dante and lecturing on
philosophy, medieval literature and religion. In 1922 she worked for
Benson's Advertising Agency and coined the phrase "My Goodness, My
Guinness". Lived at Witham in Essex from 1929
SCARRY, RICHARD MCCLURE
Children's writer and illustrator
SCIENCE FICTION, SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY
SCOTLAND, BOOKS ON
SCOTT, SIR WALTER
Novelist, Poet & Biographer. Associated with the Borders. Married
Charlotte Charpentier in 1797. In 1826 bankrupt as a result of his
publishing partner and for sinking money into the Ballantyne's printing
business (a total of £130.000). He worked for the rest of his life to
clear his debts. Lived at Abbotsford from 1812
SEARLE, RONALD WILLIAM FORDHAM
Cartoonist, Caricaturist, Illustrator, designer, Publisher and humorist.
Married Kaye Webb in 1948 (dissolved 1967) & Monica Koenig in 1967.
Searle lived in Paris from 1961 and moved to the south of France in
1977. See Willans
SENDAK, MAURICE BERNARD
Children's Writer and illustrator
SEUSS, DR
Children's writer and illustrator with German background
SEXUALITY, BOOKS ON
SHAKESPEARE, WILLIAM
Actor, Poet & Dramatist. Little known up to 18. Married a farmer's
daughter, Anne Hathaway in 1582. Went to London, Globe Theatre as actor
and playwright. 38 Plays in total. 36 Printed in the First Folio of
1623. He is the most published author in history.
SHAW, GEORGE BERNARD
Dramatist, wit, and socialist. Left Ireland to live in London in 1876
and didn't return for 30 years. In 1898 he married Charlotte
Payne-Townsend (1857-1943). Nobel Prize 1925. Lived in the new rectory
at Ayot St Lawrence in Hertfordshire from 1906 (it was renamed Shaw's
Corner after 1946) until his death.
SHELLEY, MARY
Novelist and poet. Daughter of Mary Wollstonecraft & William Godwin.
Met and eloped to the Continent with Percy B Shelley 1814 and they
married in 1817, but Shelley drowned in 1822
SHELLEY, PERCY BYSSHE
Romantic Poet. Married Harriet Westbrook in 1811 (drowned herself in the
Serpentine in 1816). He left her in 1814 after meeting Mary Godwin, and
they eloped to Italy. They married in 1816. Accidentally drowned while
sailing near Spezzia in Italy
SHEPARD, ERNEST HOWARD
Children's book illustrator
SHERWOOD, MRS MARY MARTHA
Writer. Evangelical Christian. Married her cousin Capt Henry Sherwood in
1803 and went to India with him until 1816. Wrote over 350 books,
tracts and pamphlets
SHIRE PUBLICATIONS LTD
Publisher. Cromwell House, Church St, Princes Risborough, Aylesbury, Bucks in 1994
SILLITOE, ALAN
Novelist & Poet. Married Ruth Fainlight in 1959. Lived in Majorca, on his RAF pension, for six years
SIMENON, GEORGES JOSEPH CHRISTIAN
Crime Novelist. Used 17 pseudonyms and claimed to have slept with over 1000 women. Lived in Paris
SIMON, ANDRE LOUIS
Writer on gastronomy. Married Edith Symons in 1900
SIMS, GEORGE ROBERT
Novelist, Poet & Playwright. Married Florence Wykes in 1901. He was
hugely successful. His play "Lights O'London", first performed in 1881,
was said to have earned him £72,000 by 1894
SITWELL, DAME EDITH
Poet. Sister of Osbert and Sacheverell. Experimenter with Verse form
SITWELL, SIR OSBERT
Poet and critic. Invalided from WW1 in 1916
SITWELL, SACHEVERELL
Poet and Critic. Married Georgia Doble in 1925
SMART, CHRISTOPHER
Poet. He edited and contributed to John Newbery's magazine "The
Midwife". In 1753 he married Newbery's stepdaughter, Anna Maria Carnan.
He was imprisoned for debt in 1747, his wife left him and Newbery
disowned him. Thomas Carnan was to help him but he died. Entered a
mental asylum from 1756-1763, which led him to constant public prayer
and the production of most of his religious poetry. Died in the King's
Bench prison
SMOLLETT, TOBIAS GEORGE
Novelist. All his work is satirical and full of coarse humour. He
travelled the world as a ship's surgeon and died on the continent. Also
translated Cervantes
SOCIOLOGY, BOOKS ON
SOUTHEY, ROBERT
Lake Poet, Translator and historian. Poet Laureate from 1813. Married
Edith Fricker in 1795 (died 1837) & Caroline Bowles in 1839. Brother
in law of Coleridge. Buried at Crosthwaite churchyard in Cumbria, his
grave was restored by the Brazilian Government as a 'thank-you' for his
History of Brazil
SPARK, MURIEL SARAH
Novelist & Poet. Converted to Catholicism. Married S O Spark whilst she was in Africa in 1938 (dissolved)
SPENDER, STEPHEN HAROLD
Poet. Married Agnes Pearn in 1936 & Natasha Litvin in 1941.
Homosexual. Lived in Germany. Fought in Spanish Civil War. Son of
Edward Harold Spender
SPENSER, EDMUND
Poet. Married Machabyas Chyld in 1579 (died 1591) and Elizabeth Boyle in
1594. Called the 'poet's poet'. Went to Ireland in 1580 and wrote much
of his work there in Kilcolman Castle (Cork) which was burnt in an
insurrection in 1598. Buried in Westminster Abbey
SPRAGUE DE CAMP, LYON
Science Fiction Novelist. Married Catherine (d.1999) in 1939 and much of his work was co-written with her
ST DOMINIC'S PRESS
Private Press based at Ditchling in Sussex and founded by the artist Eric Gill
STABLES, DR WILLIAM GORDON
Prolific writer of Boy's Stories, Animal Books, health books and
Historical Novels. Married Theresa McCormack in 1874. Produced an
average of 4 books per year for 30 years. He appeared often in Fleet St
in full highland dress, and toured England in a horse-drwn caravan
called "The Wanderer", complete with valet and coachman
STANLEY, HENRY MORTON
Explorer and author & amateur artist. Born John Rowlands, he was
orphaned and brought up in the St Asaph Workhouse 1847-56. Adopted by a
New orleans cottonbroker, Henry Stanley. Served in the Confederate army
1861-2. became a roving journalist in Asia Minor, Abyssinia &
Africa. Married the artist and illustrator Dorothy Tennant in 1890
STEADMAN, RALPH IDRIS
Author, Cartoonist, Caricaturist, Illustrator & Novelist
STEIN, GERTRUDE
Writer and novelist, poet and literary experimentalist. Lesbian. Moved
to France 1903 and spent rest of her life with Alice B Toklas from 1907.
Friend of Picasso & Braque
STERNE, LAURENCE
Novelist, Traveller and humorist. A born philanderer, he married
Elizabeth Lumley in 1741 and it was an unhappy union. Led a wandering,
unconventional life and died in poverty. Although buried in London his
remains were interred in 1969 and reburied at Coxwold in Yorkshire
STEVENSON, ROBERT LOUIS (BALFOUR)
Novelist. The son of a prosperous civil engineer. Married a divorced
American, Fanny Osborne (nee Van de Grift), in 1880. They lived in
Switzerland and France until ill-health (probably TB) forced him to
Samoa in 1890 where he died of a brain haemorrhage
STOBBS, WILLIAM
Prolific writer and illustrator of children's books. Married to Joanna Stubbs
STOKER, BRAM (ABRAHAM)
Novelist. Married Florence Balcombe in 1878. He died of syphilis
STOWE, HARRIET ELIZABETH BEECHER
Novelist. Married Calvin Ellis Stowe in 1836. Although not herself an Abolitionist her supporters were
STRANG, HERBERT
Pseud of George Herbert Ely (1866-1958) & C James L'Estrange
(1867-1947) who were staff members of the Oxford University Press. They
published fiction, textbooks and non-fiction for both boys and girls.
Sometimes they collaborated with John Aston, George Lawrence &
Richard Stead
STREATFEILD, NOEL
Children's writer
STREET, MAJOR CECIL JOHN CHARLES
Novelist & Writer. He lived in Seaford, Sussex and died in
Eastbourne. His Miles Burton pseudonym remained a secret until the 1960s
STYLES, FRANK SHOWELL
Mountaineer, Children's Writer & Novelist, esp of crime
SUFFOLK
English County
SUFFRAGETTES
SURREY
SUSSEX
SWIFT, JONATHAN
Prose Satirist. English parents. Came to England 1688 and took Anglican
orders. A Whig at first, then became a Tory (1710). Retired to Ireland
1714. Esther Johnson (Stella)(1681-1728) figured very importantly in his
life but it is unknown if he ever married her. It has been said that in
his will he left £11.000
SWINBURNE, ALGERNON CHARLES
Poet & Critic. From 1879 lived with Theodore Watts-Dunton. He is buried at Bonchurch on the Isle of Wight
SYMONDS, JOHN ADDINGTON, THE YOUNGER
Poet, Essayist, Critic, Historian & Biographer. Married Catherine North 1864. Homosexual. Probably died of TB
SYMONS, JULIAN GUSTAVE
Novelist, Crime Novelist, critic, Biographer and poet. Brother of A J A. Married