Eden Phillpotts

November 4th, 2012

---

On this date in 1862, British novelist, poet and dramatist Eden Phillpotts was born in India, where his father was a captain in the military. He attended Mannumead School in Plymouth, and went to London to seek his fame and fortune at age 17. Eden worked at Sun Fire Insurance Company by day for ten years, writing at night. He first caught public attention with Lying Prophets (1896), followed by the successful Children of the Mist (1898). Phillpotts left London because of health problems and settled in Torquay (Devonshire), where he set most of his 18 popular novels and 2 volumes of short stories. His books, while hard to find, still have a following. During his heydey, Phillpotts was compared with Flaubert and other literary stars. He also wrote about gardening, one of his passions. Phillpotts' plays include "Secret Woman" (1912), "The Shadow," "The Angel in the House," "The Farmer's Wife," and "St. George and the Dragons." He contributed poems to the Rationalist Press Association Annual attesting to his rejection of creeds and his agnosticism. D. 1960.

“The universe is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.”

— Eden Phillpotts, unattributed internet sources.

Compiled by Annie Laurie Gaylor - www.ffrf.org