E. F. Benson

E. F. Benson (1867–1940) was an English novelist, biographer, memoirist, and short-story writer. He is widely known for the comic Mapp and Lucia novels, beginning with Queen Lucia, but his large body of work also includes historical fiction, social comedy, and supernatural tales. Collections such as Visible and Invisible and Spook Stories show his gift for bringing uncanny events into recognisable domestic and social settings. Benson’s ghost stories often balance brisk narration and practical observation with moments of physical horror. “Mrs. Amworth” is among his best-known vampire stories.