G. M. (Gertrude M.) Godden

Gertrude Mary Godden (17 July 1867–15 February 1947) was an English writer whose published work centered on anthropology and folklore. Sources describe her as writing largely from England rather than through first-hand travel, which gives her work a distinctly research-based character.

She published in scholarly and literary circles, and she is especially associated with studies of belief, custom, and social life. She also wrote Henry Fielding: A Memoir, showing a wider interest in literary biography beyond her anthropological writing.

Later references to her career note that her interests broadened further into political subjects. Even in a relatively compact body of work, she comes across as a versatile nonfiction writer who moved between folklore, anthropology, literary history, and public affairs.