author
Julia Frankau
1864–1916
Best known by the pen name Frank Danby, this Irish-born British writer made her name with sharp, controversial fiction and later turned to art history as well. Her work stirred strong reactions in its own time and still stands out for its bold, often provocative view of late Victorian society.
1 Audiobook
Twilight
by Julia Frankau
About the author
Born in Dublin on 30 July 1859, Julia Frankau was raised in a large family with strong literary and theatrical connections. She was the sister of the playwright Owen Hall, and she wrote most of her fiction under the pen name Frank Danby.
Her first novel, Dr. Phillips: A Maida Vale Idyll (1887), brought her immediate attention. It caused controversy for its portrait of London Jewish life and helped establish her as a novelist willing to tackle uncomfortable subjects. She went on to publish more novels under her pseudonym and also wrote on art, including books about John Ruskin and modern painters.
Frankau died in London on 17 March 1916. She is remembered as a successful and outspoken author whose career moved between popular fiction and serious cultural criticism, leaving a distinctive mark on late Victorian and Edwardian literary life.