author
Mabel Winifred Knowles
1875–1949
A hugely prolific British storyteller, she wrote under the names May Wynne and Lester Lurgan, turning out historical romances, children’s books, and even early science fiction. Her life also included decades of church mission work in London, which gave her career an unusual mix of popular fiction and public service.
2 Audiobooks
A Maid of Brittany: A Romance
by Mabel Winifred Knowles
A Blot on the Scutcheon
by Mabel Winifred Knowles
About the author
Mabel Winifred Knowles (January 1, 1875 – November 29, 1949) was a British writer and church worker who published under the pen names May Wynne and Lester Lurgan. Reliable biographical sources agree that she was born in Streatham, London, and became known as a remarkably productive popular author.
She wrote in several genres, including historical romance, fiction for children, girls' stories, and some early science fiction. Reference sources describe her output as running to hundreds of books, which helps explain why her work appeared so widely in the first half of the twentieth century.
Alongside her writing, she devoted many years to church mission work in London, especially through St Luke's in the Victoria Docks area. That combination of energetic storytelling and long service in religious and community life makes her an especially distinctive figure among popular British authors of her era.