author
G. H. (George Herbert) Mair
1887–1926
A gifted literary journalist who moved from the Manchester Guardian into public service, he wrote brisk, accessible books on English literature before his life was cut short at just 38. His career linked criticism, politics, and the cultural world of early 20th-century Britain.
1 Audiobook
English Literature: Modern
by G. H. (George Herbert) Mair
About the author
George Herbert Mair was a British journalist, critic, and civil servant, born on May 8, 1887. He was educated at Aberdeen Grammar School, the University of Aberdeen, Christ Church, Oxford, and the Sorbonne, and he built an unusually wide-ranging career that joined literary study with public life.
He joined the Manchester Guardian in 1909 as a leader writer, drama critic, and special correspondent, later becoming its political correspondent and literary editor in London. He also served as assistant editor of the Daily Chronicle. Alongside his journalism, he wrote books on English literature designed to make the subject clear and approachable for general readers.
During and after the First World War, Mair moved into government and international work, including service connected with the Ministry of Information and the League of Nations. He married the Irish actress Máire O'Neill in 1911. He died on January 2, 1926, leaving behind a body of work shaped by both literary enthusiasm and first-hand experience of politics and public affairs.