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The Lord Dunsany | |
|---|---|
 Dunsany in 1919, by Morrall-Hoole Studios | |
| Born | Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett 24 July 1878 London, England |
| Died | 25 October 1957 (aged 79) Dublin, Ireland |
| Occupation | Writer (short story writer, playwright, novelist, poet) |
| Language | English |
| Nationality | Irish, British |
| Period | 1890s to 1957 |
| Genre | High fantasy, crime, horror, science fiction, weird fiction |
| Notable works | Early short story collections, The King of Elfland's Daughter, The Gods of Pegāna |
| Notable awards | Harmsworth Award |
| Spouse |
Lady Beatrice Child Villiers
(m. 1904) |
| Children | 1 |
| Parents | John Plunkett, 17th Baron Dunsany (father) |
| Relatives | Reginald Drax (brother) |
| Military career | |
| Service | British Army, Irish Army |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | Coldstream Guards, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, Irish Army Reserve, British Home Guard |
| Battles / wars | Easter Rising, Battle of Britain |
Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, 18th Baron Dunsany FRSL FRGS (/dʌnˈseɪni/; 24 July 1878 – 25 October 1957), commonly known as Lord Dunsany, was an Anglo-Irish writer and dramatist. He published more than 90 books during his lifetime,[2][4][a] and his output consisted of hundreds of short stories, plays, novels, and essays; further works were published posthumously.[1] Having gained a name in the 1910s as a writer in the English-speaking world, he is best known today for the 1924 fantasy novel The King of Elfland's Daughter,[1] and his first book, The Gods of Pegāna, which depicts a fictional pantheon. Many critics feel his early work laid grounds for the fantasy genre.[6]
Born in London as heir to one of the oldest Irish peerages, he was raised partly in Kent, but later lived mainly at Ireland's possibly longest-inhabited home, Dunsany Castle near Tara. He worked with W. B. Yeats and Lady Gregory, and supported the Abbey Theatre and some fellow writers. He was a chess and pistol champion of Ireland, and travelled and hunted. He devised an asymmetrical game called Dunsany's chess. In later life, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Trinity College Dublin. He settled in Shoreham, Kent, in 1947. In 1957 he took ill when visiting Ireland and died in Dublin of appendicitis.
- ^ Canavan states "He published more than 80 books".[1]
- ^ Joshi & Schweitzer (2014), 2nd rev. ed., p. 27; Joshi & Schweitzer (1993), 1st ed., p. 29.
- ^ However, Lord Dunsany: A Comprehensive Bibliography gives a full listing of Dunsany's own works catalogued as "I.A." numbers, the last issued within author's lifetime being #92 (I.A. 92) The Sword of Welleran and Other Tales of Enchantment (1954).[3]
- ^ Joshi & Schweitzer (2014), p. 34.
- ^ "Curtis Brown". www.curtisbrown.co.uk. Archived from the original on 15 August 2020. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
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