Reginald Arkell

Reginald Arkell was an English writer, playwright, and journalist whose work ranged from comic novels and light verse to scripts and musical plays for the London stage. He was born in Lechlade, Gloucestershire, on October 14, 1882, and later became known for a warm, humorous style that never lost its affection for rural England.

Alongside his theatre work, he wrote popular books including A Cottage in the Country, the Green Fingers garden verses, and Old Herbaceous, the novel many readers still know him for best. That book’s gentle wit and love of gardens helped it find an audience well beyond its own time.

Arkell died on May 1, 1959, in Cricklade, Wiltshire. Though not as famous today as some of his contemporaries, he remains an appealing writer for readers who enjoy understated humor, literary comfort, and an old-fashioned English countryside atmosphere.