author
Furnley Maurice
1881–1942
An Australian poet, bookseller, and publisher, he wrote under the pen name Furnley Maurice and is best remembered for poetry that spoke out against the waste of war. His work brought a strong moral voice to early 20th-century Australian literature.
1 Audiobook
The Bay and Padie book : Kiddie songs
by Furnley Maurice
About the author
Born Frank Leslie Thomson Wilmot in Collingwood, Melbourne, on April 6, 1881, he published under the pseudonym Furnley Maurice. He left school young and worked at Cole’s Book Arcade, where his life in books began and where he later rose to a senior role.
He became known as a poet, publisher, and man of letters in Australia. Reference works describe him as best known for To God: From the Warring Nations (1917), a powerful anti-war collection, and note that he also wrote lyrics, satirical verse, and essays.
Maurice remained active in Australian literary life beyond his own poems, and he died in Melbourne on February 22, 1942. His reputation rests on the seriousness of his voice and on writing that joined literary craft with social conscience.