author
W. A. (William Allan) Chapple
1864–1936
A doctor, politician, and public writer, this New Zealand-born author brought the voice of a campaigner into his books and pamphlets. His work sits at the crossroads of medicine, social debate, and public life in the early 20th century.
1 Audiobook
The Fertility of the Unfit
by W. A. (William Allan) Chapple
About the author
Born in Alexandra, Otago, on 14 July 1864, William Allan Chapple trained in medicine and went on to build an unusually varied career as a physician, writer, and politician. He lived and worked in New Zealand before later serving in British politics, making him one of the few figures of his time to sit in both the New Zealand House of Representatives and the UK House of Commons.
Chapple also wrote on public and social questions, and the work most often associated with him today is The Fertility of the Unfit. Readers may notice that his writing reflects ideas that were debated in his era but are now widely rejected, so he is often of interest as a historical figure rather than simply as a literary one.
He died on 19 October 1936. For modern readers, his books offer a window into the arguments, assumptions, and reform movements that shaped public discussion in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.