Julian Hawthorne

Julian Hawthorne was an American writer and journalist born in 1846 and active across much of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He wrote prolifically in many forms, including fiction, mystery stories, essays, biographies, travel writing, and historical works. Although his family name drew attention from the start, he developed a substantial career of his own.

He was the son of novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne and Sophia Peabody, and that literary inheritance stayed closely tied to his reputation. One of his best-known nonfiction projects was a biography of his father, and readers have often approached his work with that family connection in mind. At the same time, he published steadily under his own name for decades and also worked as a journalist.

His later life included serious public scandal: he was convicted in connection with a mail fraud case in the 1910s and served time in prison, while continuing to insist on his innocence. He lived until 1934, leaving behind a career that was energetic, varied, and far more extensive than many casual readers realize.