author
Francis Neilson
1867–1961
A man of many lives, he moved from the theatre to politics and wrote with unusual range and energy. His career stretched across the British stage, Parliament, and public debate in the United States.
2 Audiobooks
A Butterfly on the Wheel: A Novel
by Guy Thorne, Edward G. (Edward George) Hemmerde, Francis Neilson
Blue and Purple
by Francis Neilson
About the author
Born in Birkenhead, England, in 1867, Francis Neilson built an unusually wide-ranging career as an actor, playwright, stage director, lecturer, and author. He later became a Liberal Member of Parliament for Hyde, serving from 1910 to 1916, before settling in the United States.
Neilson wrote prolifically across genres, with more than 60 books, plays, and opera librettos attributed to him in standard reference sources. His work was shaped not only by theatrical experience but also by a strong interest in public affairs, economics, and reform.
He is also remembered as an active voice in the Georgist movement, which advocated ideas about land and taxation associated with Henry George. Neilson died in New York in 1961, leaving behind a body of work that reflects both literary ambition and a lifelong engagement with politics and society.