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Georgette Heyer | Open Library
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2024ねん3がつ4にち | History

Georgette Heyer

Georgette Heyer was born on 16 August 1902 in Wimbledon, London, England, UK. She was the eldest child of Sylvia Watkins and George Heyer; her brother George Boris was born four years later, and her brother Frank nine years later. During her childhood, the family lived also in Paris, France, but they returned to England before World War I. During the war, her father served as a requisitions officer for the British Army in France. Her father encouraged her to read, he never forbade her any book. At 17, she began a serial story to amuse her brother Boris, who suffered from a form of haemophilia and was often weak. Her father enjoyed listening to her story and asked her to prepare it for publication. His agent found a publisher for her book, and "The Black Moth" was released in 1921.

In December 1920, she met George Ronald Rougier, a young man two years older than she, who studied at the Royal School of Mines to become a mining engineer. They became engaged the spring of 1925. By then she had published five novels. Only one month later, her father died of a heart attack, and, as he left no pension for his family, she assumed financial responsibility for her brothers, aged 19 and 14. On 18 August 1925, Georgette married George Ronald, but two months later, he was sent to Caucasus Mountains, and she remained at home and continued to write. She released "These Old Shades", during the midst of the UK General Strike of 1926; as a result, the novel received no newspaper coverage, reviews, or advertising. The novel sold 190,000 copies, and she refused for the rest of her life to promote her novels. Her husband was sent to the East African territory of Tanganyika, and she joined him in 1927. They moved to Macedonia in 1928, where she almost died after a dentist improperly administered an anaesthetic. She insisted they return to England before starting a family, and the following year they returned to England.

In England, her husband started different businesses, but she was always the primary breadwinner. They had a son, Richard, and she continued to care for her brothers and mother. During the World War II, her husband and brothers served in the army, and to earn more money, she reviewed books for Heinemann. To minimize her tax liability, she formed a limited liability company, that paid salaries for her and her family. The tax inspectors discovered financial problems with the company, which she finally sold.

Heyer wrote principally historical romance novels and some detective novels. She essentially established the historical sub-genre of Regency romance, inspired by Jane Austen's work. Unlike Austen, who wrote about and for the times in which she lived, Heyer was forced to include copious information about the period so that her readers would understand the setting. To ensure accuracy, she collected reference works and kept detailed notes on all aspects of Regency life, becoming an expert. Her successful regency novels were imitated by many other authors, and in some cases were allegedly plagiarized, but she chose not to file lawsuits. She continued writing until her death by lung cancer on 4 July 1974; her novel My Lord John, the first and only book of the Lancaster Trilogy, was published posthumously.

Born 16 August 1902
Died 4 July 1974

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  • Cover of: These Old Shades: Alastair-Audley #1

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  • Cover of: The black moth

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  • Cover of: Arabella
    Cover of edition arabella0000heye Cover of edition arabella0000heye_s5e8 Cover of edition arabella00heye_903 First published in 1949 51 editions

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  • Cover of: Powder and Patch: Powder and Patch: A Comedy of Manners

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  • Cover of: Bath Tangle
    Cover of edition bathtangle0000heye_h4k4 Cover of edition bathtangle00heye Cover of edition unset0000unse_r0a0 Cover of edition bathtangle0000heye_o4u4 Cover of edition bathtangle0000heye Cover of edition bathtangle00heye_684 First published in 1953 49 editions

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  • Cover of: A blunt instrument

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  • Cover of: The Grand Sophy

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  • Cover of: Sprig Muslin [LARGE PRINT]

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  • Cover of: The Toll-Gate
    Cover of edition isbn_9780373774128 Cover of edition tollgate0000heye_t3s9 Cover of edition tollgate0000heye Cover of edition tollgate00heye Cover of edition tollgate00heye_452 First published in 1954 44 editions

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  • Cover of: Cotillion
    Cover of edition cotillion0000heye Cover of edition cotillion0000heye_r4g4 Cover of edition cotillion0000heye_e4q4 First published in 1953 44 editions

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  • Cover of: Il figlio del diavolo

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  • Cover of: Royal escape

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  • Cover of: Friday's Child
    Cover of edition fridayschild00heye Cover of edition fridayschild00heye_1 Cover of edition fridayschild0000heye_s3m1 First published in 1919 43 editions

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  • Cover of: Death in the stocks

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  • Cover of: Why shoot a butler?
    Cover of edition whyshootbutler00heye Cover of edition whyshootbutler0000heye_i6n3 Cover of edition whyshootbutler00heye_844 First published in 1933 40 editions

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  • Cover of: Cousin Kate

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  • Cover of: The Talisman Ring

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  • Cover of: Duplicate death
    Cover of edition duplicatedeath00heye Cover of edition duplicatedeath00heye_628 First published in 1951 39 editions

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  • Cover of: The Masqueraders
    Cover of edition masqueradersharl00geor Cover of edition masqueraders00heye Cover of edition masqueraders00heye Cover of edition masqueraders00heye_380 First published in 1928 38 editions

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  • Cover of: The Foundling
    Cover of edition foundling00heye_430 First published in 1948 37 editions

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Born 16 August 1902
Died 4 July 1974

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2024ねん3がつ4にち Edited by mheiman merge authors
2024ねん2がつ17にち Edited by bitnapper Edited without comment.
2024ねん2がつ17にち Edited by bitnapper merge authors
2023ねん11月26にち Edited by mheiman merge authors
2008ねん4がつ1にち Created by an anonymous user initial import