Edith Allonby

Born on December 1, 1875, Edith Allonby was an English writer and teacher. Sources describe her surname as sometimes also spelled Allanby or Allenby. She is remembered for early speculative fiction, including novels set on a fictional planet, at a time when women writing in those genres were far less visible.

Her known books include Jewel Sowers and The Fulfilment, and her work has continued to interest readers of early science fiction and fantasy. She also wrote Marigold, which appeared after her death and has helped keep her name in circulation among modern readers of overlooked fantastical fiction.

Allonby's life was very short: she died on September 5, 1905, at just 29 years old. The circumstances of her death have often been noted because reports at the time connected it to her hopes for greater attention to her writing, adding a tragic note to the story of a distinctive and little-known author.