author
Stephen Hudson
1868–1944
Best known as the pen name of Sydney Schiff, this late-blooming British novelist wrote sharp, psychological fiction and moved through some of the most interesting literary and artistic circles of his time.
1 Audiobook
War-time Silhouettes
by Stephen Hudson
About the author
Born Sydney Alfred Schiff in London in 1868, he published fiction as Stephen Hudson and built his literary reputation in the 1910s, 1920s, and 1930s. He is often remembered both for his own novels and for the unusually rich cultural world around him: with independent wealth, he became a generous patron of the arts and formed friendships across English and French musical, artistic, and literary circles.
Hudson's work came to wider notice relatively late. War-Time Silhouettes appeared in 1916, and Richard Kurt in 1919 brought particular recognition for its psychological depth. He also worked as a translator, including on Marcel Proust, which reflects how closely he was connected to European modern literary culture.
He died on October 29, 1944. Although he is less widely read now than some of the writers around him, Stephen Hudson remains an intriguing figure: a novelist, translator, and behind-the-scenes supporter of modern art and literature.