Eden Phillpotts

Born in Mount Abu, India, in 1862 and educated in Plymouth, Eden Phillpotts went on to become an English author, poet, and dramatist. Before turning fully to writing, he worked for about ten years in insurance and also studied for the stage, experiences that fed into his long and varied literary career.

Phillpotts is best remembered for fiction set in Devon, especially Dartmoor, with landscapes and local life playing a central role in his work. He was extraordinarily productive, publishing well over a hundred books across novels, short stories, poetry, and plays, and he remained active as a writer for many decades.

He died in Devon in 1960. Today he is often admired for the strong sense of place in his books and for the sheer range of his output, which included rural dramas, mysteries, and other imaginative fiction.