W. B. (William Babington) Maxwell

William Babington Maxwell (1866–1938), who published as W. B. Maxwell, was a British novelist and playwright. He was the son of the novelist Mary Elizabeth Braddon and the publisher John Maxwell, and he went on to publish dozens of novels across the early 20th century.

His first novel appeared when he was already an adult in his thirties, but he became a steady and successful writer, known for character-driven stories and a sharp eye for social behavior. Alongside fiction, he also wrote for the stage, showing a range that helped keep his work visible with both readers and theater audiences.

During the First World War, he served as a lieutenant in the Royal Fusiliers, an unusual step for a man of his age at the outbreak of the war. That mix of literary background, professional discipline, and lived experience gives his work an added depth that still makes him an interesting figure in popular British fiction of his time.