Ten essays about authors who once entertained millions but who are now forgotten:Bracebridge Hemyng: The rise and fall of the Heming family was mirrored by the career of the most famous of the writing dynasty that emerged from it--the creator of Jack Harkaway, enticed to America with the promise of $10,000 a year but who returned with nothing to show for his success.Philip Richards: Who was the author behind the continuation of Bracebridge Hemyng's most famous creation, Jack Harkaway? Frank Barrett (Frank Davis): Writer of novels that ranged from crime, historical to romance and science fiction, earning their author comparison (although not always favourably) to Wilkie Collins and Robert Louis Stevenson.Ernest Protheroe: A former teacher and incredibly prolific writer for boys and girls under a variety of names who was probably more successful with his non-fiction than his novels. Charles Granville (Charles Hosken): Publisher, editor, novelist, poet, businessman, bankrupt, bigamist, thief. the extraordinary life of Charles Hosken, who wrote crusading novels as he defrauded all around him.Louise Heilgers: Her literary gifts were highly praised, but her writing career was overshadowed by tragedy, a succession of failed businesses and a headline-grabbing escape abroad with her "husband".C. E.
Vulliamy: Historian, biographer and satirist, a writer of memoirs of imaginary Victorians who also penned crime novels under his own name and as Anthony Rolls.Evelyn Winch: Author of the popular but now forgotten The Girl in the Flat, Winch was queen of the "thriller-romance" in the 1930s before her life ended in tragedy.Frederick Foden: Author who churned out 75 violent and sexually-charged tough-guy gangster yarns in four years, while he himself was a bachelor who lived with his mother.David Roberts: Writer behind the weekly adventures of world travelling Gulliver guinea-pig and fairy tale heroine Princess Marigold, Roberts helped entertain and shape the minds of millions of youngsters as both a scriptwriter and creator of children's magazines.