Ada Leverson

Born in 1862, she was an English writer best known for novels and stories that gently mocked late Victorian and Edwardian high society. She became closely associated with Oscar Wilde and his circle, and Wilde reportedly gave her the nickname “the Sphinx,” a sign of the cool intelligence and dry wit friends admired in her.

Her best-known work includes the trilogy made up of The Little Ottleys, Tenterhooks, and Love’s Shadow, along with many short stories and sketches. Readers were drawn to her elegant style, quick dialogue, and amused view of marriage, fashion, and social ambition.

She died in 1933, but her work still appeals to readers who enjoy literary comedy with a sharp eye for human behavior. There is a lightness to her writing, yet also a keen sense of how people perform for one another and how much can hide beneath good manners.