Percival Wilde

Born in New York City on March 1, 1887, Percival Wilde studied at Columbia University and later worked for a time as a banker before turning seriously to writing. He became known as an American playwright, novelist, and short-story writer, with a special gift for the compact form.

Wilde began writing plays in the 1910s and earned particular notice for his one-act dramas, which fit well with the Little Theatre movement. He also wrote mystery fiction and a textbook on theater craft, showing how deeply he understood structure, timing, and the mechanics of performance.

That sense of construction carries through his fiction as well: his stories are often neat, intelligent, and driven by setup and payoff. He died in New York City on September 19, 1953, leaving behind work that still appeals to readers who enjoy classic drama and carefully built plots.