author

Gladys Davidson

Best known for turning opera plots into lively, readable stories, this British writer also worked across children's books, mythology, animals, and more. Her books were made to welcome curious readers into big subjects without making them feel shut out.

1 Audiobook

Stories from the Operas

Stories from the Operas

by Gladys Davidson

About the author

Gladys Davidson was a British author, born Louise Gladys Davidson in Leamington in 1874. She is especially remembered for books that retold opera stories in clear, engaging prose, helping readers enjoy the drama of the stage in book form.

Her work ranged widely. In addition to opera collections such as Stories from the Operas, she wrote on subjects including ballet, animals, the Bible, and classic tales for younger readers, with titles connected to Sinbad's Seven Voyages and The Arabian Nights. In the preface to Stories from the Operas, she explained that her aim was to present each libretto as a readable short story for opera-goers and other lovers of dramatic tales.

Davidson's life also reached beyond books: in 1917 she was appointed General Secretary of the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies, and LibriVox notes that she was elected a Fellow of the Zoological Society of London in 1920. She died on December 3, 1962, at the age of 88.