COPYRIGHT, 1912BY GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANYTHE·PLIMPTON·PRESS[W·D·O]NORWOOD·MASS·U·S·A
COPYRIGHT, 1912BY GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANYTHE·PLIMPTON·PRESS[W·D·O]NORWOOD·MASS·U·S·A
Enoch Arnold Bennett was born at Hanley-in-the-Potteries (one of the “Five Towns” frequently appearing in his writings) on 27th May 1867. He was educated at the endowed Middle School, Newcastle-under-Lyme, and matriculated in the London University. From school he went into the office of his father, who practised as a solicitor at Hanley, and stayed with him until 1889, when he took a post in a solicitor’s office in London, which he held until 1893. In that year he abandoned the law finally to become assistant editor ofWoman,and succeeded to the editorship in 1896. This post he resigned in 1900 to devote himself exclusively to literature. In the meantime several of his works had been issued, the first being “A Man from the North” (1898) and a handbook, “Journalism for Women,” followed in the next year by the publication of a volume of plays, “Polite Farces,” his first experiments in drama. Afterwards appeared in rapid succession nine other novels, two volumes of short stories, seven volumes of belles-lettres, and seven fantasias. Besides these he wrote two plays, “Cupid and Common-Sense,” produced by the Stage Society in 1908, and “What the Public Wants,” also produced by the Stage Society in 1909, and afterwards by Mr. Hawtrey at the New Royalty Theatre. Boththese plays were subsequently staged in Glasgow, and by Miss Horniman’s Company. The most important of his publications include:—among novels, “Leonora,” “A Great Man,” “Sacred and Profane Love,” “Whom God Hath Joined——,” “The Old Wives’ Tale,” and “Clayhanger”; among the belles-lettres, “The Truth about an Author,” “Literary Taste,” “The Reasonable Life,” “The Human Machine,” and “How to Live on Twenty-Four Hours a Day” (the last four contributed originally toT. P.’s Weekly,and containing indications of Mr. Bennett’s theories of life); and in the short stories, “Tales of the Five Towns,” and “The Grim Smile of the Five Towns.” Mr. Bennett has very definite leanings towards Socialism, and, under a pseudonym, writes regularly forThe New Age.He also contributes from time to time to the most important progressive weekly and monthly magazines.
F. C. B.