Olive Harper

author

Olive Harper

1842–1915

A sharp, versatile 19th-century writer, she moved easily between journalism, poetry, sensation fiction, and early speculative tales. Her work blends theatrical flair with a lively interest in mystery, society, and the unexpected.

2 Audiobooks

The shoemaker : A powerful picture of nature, adapted from Hal Reid's famous drama of the same name

The shoemaker : A powerful picture of nature, adapted from Hal Reid's famous drama of the same name

by Olive Harper, Hal Reid

The sociable ghost : Being the adventures of a reporter who was invited by the sociable ghost to a grand banquet, ball, and convention under the ground of old Trinity churchyard. A true tale of the things he saw and did not see while he was not there.

The sociable ghost : Being the adventures of a reporter who was invited by the sociable ghost to a grand banquet, ball, and convention under the ground of old Trinity churchyard. A true tale of the things he saw and did not see while he was not there.

by Olive Harper

About the author

Writing under the name Olive Harper, Ellen Burrell D'Apery was an American journalist, poet, and novelist born on September 28, 1842, and she built a career that crossed newspapers, verse, and popular fiction. She published in several genres, including mystery, detective fiction, and imaginative fantasy, showing a knack for dramatic plots and vivid storytelling.

Her books include A Fair Californian (1889), The Show Girl (1902), and The Sociable Ghost (1903). That range helps explain why she still draws interest today: she wrote for a broad audience and was comfortable mixing entertainment with bold, unusual ideas.

Harper died on May 2, 1915. Though not as widely remembered as some of her contemporaries, her work offers a lively glimpse of how adventurous and wide-ranging popular writing could be in her era.