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Georgette Heyer. English Novelist and Short Story Writer
16th August 1902 – 4th
July 1974
Brief Biography
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.
Rosemary’s novels are available from Books We Love
Publishers: https://bookswelove.net/morris-rosemary/
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