author
Harold Owen
1872–1930
A British journalist and playwright from the Potteries, he is remembered for writing vividly about working life in Staffordshire and for co-authoring the long-running stage success Mr. Wu. His work ranges from social history to polemical commentary, giving a sharp glimpse of early 20th-century debates.
1 Audiobook
Mr. Wu Based on the Play "Mr. Wu" by H. M. Vernon and Harold Owen
by Louise Jordan Miln, Harold Owen, Harry M. Vernon
About the author
Harold Owen (1872–1930) was a British journalist and playwright. Sources available online describe him as being born in Burslem, Staffordshire, and identify him as the author of The Staffordshire Potter as well as a co-author, with H. M. Vernon, of the play Mr. Wu.
He seems to have drawn deeply on the world around him. The Staffordshire Potter is still noted for its detailed picture of the pottery industry and of workers' lives in North Staffordshire, which makes it valuable not just as a period book but as a record of a place and its people.
His surviving bibliography also shows a more combative side, including titles such as Woman Adrift and Unpopular Opinions. Even from a small set of confirmed facts, he comes across as a writer interested in public argument as much as storytelling — someone who moved between journalism, theatre, and social commentary.