Sometimes described as the “New Zealand Kipling” in the first four decades of the twentieth-century (Sturm 70), Edith Lyttleton was a popular and prolific writer of short stories as well as the author of twelve novels. Her books sold in huge numbers in Australasia, Britain and North America, with several appearing also in translation, and three of her novels being made into silent feature films.

The eldest child of Westcote McNab Lyttelton (gentleman) and Emily (née Wood), Edith Joan was born on 18 December 1873 in northern Tasmania where her father managed a sheep station. Along with English, Scottish and French ancestry, Edith inherited the Victorian British imperialistic values typical of the frontier colonies.

The eldest child of Westcote McNab Lyttelton (gentleman) and Emily (née…

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Citation: Millen, Julia . "Edith Lyttleton". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 28 January 2016 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=12415, accessed 09 October 2024.]

12415 Edith Lyttleton 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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