author

Edward Fordham Spence

1860–1932

Best remembered for writing about the theatre under the initials “E.F.S.”, this barrister-turned-author moved easily between fiction, criticism, and practical outdoor writing. His surviving books suggest a lively, observant voice with interests ranging from the stage to angling.

1 Audiobook

Our Stage and Its Critics

Our Stage and Its Critics

by Edward Fordham Spence

About the author

Born in 1860 and dying in 1932, Edward Fordham Spence was an English barrister and author. Reference sources identify him as both a lawyer and a novelist, and Victorian fiction records credit him with the 1886 novel A Freak of Fate.

Spence also wrote about the theatre. His book Our Stage and Its Critics was published in 1910 and was presented as the work of “E.F.S.” of The Westminster Gazette, linking him to journalism and dramatic criticism as well as literary writing.

His later work shows a wider range of interests beyond fiction and criticism. A 1928 edition of The Pike Fisher points to his activity as a practical writer on angling too, giving a picture of an author whose career crossed law, literature, and leisure writing.