Githa Sowerby

Portrait of Sowerby by George Percy Jacomb-Hood, circa 1912

Katherine Githa Sowerby (6 October 1876 – 30 June 1970), also known under her pen name K. G. Sowerby, was an English playwright, children's writer, and member of the Fabian Society. A feminist, she was well-known during the early twentieth century for her 1912 hit play Rutherford & Son, but lapsed into obscurity in later decades.[1]

Rutherford & Son was first revived in 1980, and since then there have been several productions, including one at the Royal National Theatre in 1994 and, most recently, by Sheffield Theatres. A biography of Sowerby by Pat Riley, Looking for Githa, appeared in 2009, with a revised edition in 2019. In addition to several plays, Sowerby wrote books of poetry and short stories for children, illustrated by her sister Millicent Sowerby.[2] Her papers and memorabilia are in the collections at the Tyne and Wear Archives.[3]

  1. ^ Barbara Hodgson, "Author Is Brought Back to Life", The Journal, 17 September 2009.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference WhosWho1922 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference guardian was invoked but never defined (see the help page).