Basil King

Born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, in 1859, Basil King was educated at King's College in Nova Scotia and was ordained as an Anglican priest. He served in Canada and the United States before poor eyesight pushed him away from active ministry.

That change opened a second career. Writing under the name Basil King, he published novels and nonfiction that explored conscience, faith, fear, and inner struggle. His books were often described as spiritually minded, and he developed a strong readership in the early 20th century.

King died in 1928, but his life still stands out for the way it joined religious vocation and literary ambition. For listeners today, his work offers a window into an era when popular fiction often wrestled openly with moral and spiritual life.