The Arnold Bennett Calendar

Enoch Arnold Bennett was born at Hanley-in-the-Potteries (one of the “Five Towns” frequently appearing in his writings) on 27th May 1867. He was educated at the endowed Middle School, Newcastle-under-Lyme, and matriculated in the London University. From school he went into the office of his father, who practised as a solicitor at Hanley, and stayed with him until 1889, when he took a post in a solicitor’s office in London, which he held until 1893.

Afterwards appeared in rapid succession nine other novels, two volumes of short stories, seven volumes of belles-lettres, and seven fantasias. Besides these he wrote two plays, “Cupid and Common-Sense,” produced by the Stage Society in 1908, and “What the Public Wants,” also produced by the Stage Society in 1909, and afterwards by Mr. Hawtrey at the New Royalty Theatre. Both these plays were subsequently staged in Glasgow, and by Miss Horniman’s Company. The most important of his publications include:—among novels, “Leonora,” “A Great Man,” “Sacred and Profane Love,” “Whom God Hath Joined——,” “The Old Wives’ Tale,” and “Clayhanger”; among the belles-lettres, “The Truth about an Author,” “Literary Taste,” “The Reasonable Life,”