H. (Hesketh) Hesketh-Prichard

Born in Jhansi, India, in 1876, Hesketh Hesketh-Prichard grew into one of those unusually wide-ranging Edwardian figures who seemed to do everything at once. He was a writer, explorer, cricketer, hunter, and traveler, and he published popular adventure stories, mysteries, and supernatural fiction, sometimes working with his mother, Kate Prichard.

His real-life expeditions helped shape his books. He traveled in places including Central and South America, and his writing often draws on firsthand experience, giving even his most entertaining tales a lived-in sense of movement and risk. Readers also remember him for the lively Don Q stories and for eerie, imaginative fiction collected under the name "Flaxman Low," an early occult detective.

During the First World War, he became known for his work improving observation and sniping methods for the British Army, a role that added another unexpected chapter to an already remarkable life. He died in 1922, leaving behind a body of work that blends adventure, mystery, and the restless curiosity of a man who rarely stayed still.