H. E. Bates

H. E. Bates

BornHerbert Ernest Bates
(1905-05-16)16 May 1905
Rushden, Northamptonshire, England
Died29 January 1974(1974-01-29) (aged 68)
Canterbury, Kent, England
OccupationWriter
LanguageEnglish
CitizenshipUnited Kingdom
GenreNovels, short stories
Notable worksLove for Lydia, The Darling Buds of May, My Uncle Silas, Fair Stood the Wind for France

Herbert Ernest Bates CBE (16 May 1905 – 29 January 1974) was a British writer, known for his gritty realistic short stories (he wrote more than 25 collections) and novels set in the early to mid 20th century of England mainly. He was from the countryside and adored flowers and gardening (writing two books on gardening), so much of his writing is informed by this. The semi-autobiographical "Love for Lydia" has detailed descriptions of nature in winter, and of the big grounds of Aspen Hall where he meets Lydia. His best-known works include Love for Lydia, Fair Stood the Wind for France, The Darling Buds of May, as well as My Uncle Silas. Many of his short stories were turned into tv series by British television in the 1970s.