Georgette Heyer. English Novelist and Short Story Writer by Rosemary Morris

 

 

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Georgette Heyer. English Novelist and Short Story Writer

 

16^th August 1902 – 4^th July 1974

Brief Biography

 Born in Wimbledon, Georgette is a feminine version of her father’s name, George. Her grandfather, George Heyer, a Russian fur merchant might have fled from a program and settled in England during the mid-nineteenth century and married an English woman. Georgettte’s father, bred to be an Englishman, had three older sisters. He read classics at Sussex College, Cambridge. His father had financial reverses, so he taught French at Kings College School, his salary a pitiful £135 a year. Nevertheless, he married twenty-five year old Sylvia Watkins, (from a family of tugboat owners) who studied the cello and piano at the Royal College of Music. In 1902, Georgette was born, followed by George Boris and Frank Dimitri.

Georgette’s father, who her friend described as a rolling stone resigned from the college Boris and Frank received good educations. In her own words Georgette mentioned: I was educated at day schools and did not go to college. Her well-read father an interesting conversationalist, encouraged her to read widely.

While Boris, a haemophiliac convalesced in Hastings, she made up the tale of The Black Moth to relieve her own boredom and her brother’s. Subsequently published in 1921 she contributed to the family income She later described its publication as ‘the first crack out of the bag.’ Her mother was uncertain about Georgette’s writing, but her father and literary agent encouraged her. She had embarked on a long, successful career as an author.

A friend said the young novelist was attractive, tall, her light brown hair had gold tints curled at the ends, and she had beautiful grey eyes. In the 1920’s ‘she was admirably soignee’.

At Christmas 1920 Georgette met tall, handsome Ronald Rougier when their families were staying at Bushey Park hotel. His family had a Huguenot heritage. They had settled in York and dealt in imports and exports. George was born in Odessa. He lived there for a while, learnt Russian and enjoyed caviar. He qualified as a mining engineer in 1922. After going out with each other for five years they became engaged in spring 1925 when Georgette’s fifth novel, Simon the Coldheart was published. A month later her father had a heart attack and died while Ronald played tennis with George. Her brothers were only 19 and 14. Boris had a job, but their sister supported Frank at school and at Cambridge, and she helped her hard up mother. From then on, Georgette wrote because ‘writing was in her blood’ and she needed money.

25-year-old Ronald married Georgette on the eighteenth of August, two days after her 23rd birthday. Until 1929 they lived in Tanginika Territory (Tanzania) and Macedonia then settled in London. Ronald and their son, Richard, pursued successful legal careers. Richard married Susanna Flint, divorced mother of two little boys. Georgette wrote Susie was the daughter we never had and thought we never wanted. The Rougiers enjoyed the role of step grandparents and were delighted when their grandson, Nicholas, was born

Georgette only answered fan letters about interesting historical facts. She refused to grant interviews, telling a friend: My private life concerns no one but myself and my family. When she died after fifty years of a happy marriage, her fans learned about her private life from obituaries.

Georgette Heyer wrote Pistols For Two in 1960 a collection of short stories, subsequently published as Snowdrift, which included three short stories. She wrote fifty-six novels, Between 1921 and 1972 Georgette Heyer wrote four historical novels, thirty-nine Regency Romances and twelve thrillers. My Lord John a historical biography about Henry V’s younger brother, John, Duke of Bedford was published posthumously in 1975. Six of Ms Heyer’s early novels Instead of the Thorn, Helen, Pastel and Barren Corn The Great Roxhythe and Simon the Cold Heart were supressed.

Georgette’s Regency novels are still in print. They created a popular genre, but few authors research their books as meticulously as the world famous novelist.

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