Georgette Heyer

Diana Wallace (University of South Wales)
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Best-known as the originator of the much-imitated Regency romance, a sub-genre of the popular historical novel, Georgette Heyer was a meticulous craftswoman whose highly stylised and neatly plotted novels were grounded in detailed historical research. A consistent bestseller, despite her refusal to do “publicity”, she was never taken seriously by the reviewers who failed to acknowledge the command of form and style which enabled her particular brand of elegant romantic comedy.

Born in Wimbledon, Surrey in 1902, she was the eldest child of George Heyer, the son of a Russian émigré, and Sylvia Watkins, the daughter of a Thames tugboat owner and an accomplished musician. Heyer had two younger brothers and was particularly close to her father, who read Classics at Cambridge and, after

991 words

Citation: Wallace, Diana. "Georgette Heyer". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 05 November 2005 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=2118, accessed 29 March 2024.]

2118 Georgette Heyer 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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