Mrs. Rodolph Stawell

Born Maud Margaret Key in 1865, she was a British author and translator who published under the name Mrs. Rodolph Stawell. Surviving library and reference records connect her with both imaginative writing and literary retellings, and list her life dates as 1865–1949.

Her best-known books include Fairies I Have Met, along with the travel volumes Motor Tours in Wales and the Border Counties, Motor Tours in Yorkshire, and Motor Tours in the West Country. She also retold Fabre's Book of Insects, showing the same gift for making specialist material feel lively and approachable.

What makes her especially appealing for modern listeners is her range: one book may wander into folklore and wonder, while another captures the pleasures of early twentieth-century travel. Across both kinds of writing, she comes across as observant, accessible, and eager to share what delighted her.