author
Elizabeth Bisland
1861–1929
A sharp-eyed journalist and world traveler, she is still remembered for her bold race around the globe against Nellie Bly. Her writing blends adventure, literary taste, and the curiosity of a born observer.
4 Audiobooks
The Life and Letters of Lafcadio Hearn, Volume 2
by Elizabeth Bisland
The Secret Life: Being the Book of a Heretic
by Elizabeth Bisland
The Life and Letters of Lafcadio Hearn, Volume 1
by Elizabeth Bisland
Seekers in Sicily: Being a Quest for Persephone by Jane and Peripatetica
by Elizabeth Bisland, Anne Hoyt
About the author
Born in Louisiana in 1861, Elizabeth Bisland became a journalist and author after moving to New York, where she worked in literary circles and wrote for magazines including Cosmopolitan. She built a reputation as an elegant, perceptive writer with a strong interest in books, travel, and culture.
She is best known today for her 1889 journey around the world, undertaken in competition with reporter Nellie Bly. Traveling westward, Bisland completed the trip in 76 days and later wrote about the experience, turning a newspaper stunt into a lasting piece of travel writing.
Bisland continued to publish after her marriage to Charles Wetmore, often as Elizabeth Bisland Wetmore, and remained active as a writer into the early 20th century. She died in 1929, but her career still stands out for its mix of literary grace, independence, and real-world adventure.