Meny
Portrait image of Algernon Blackwood Photo: Hulton Deutsch/Corbis Historical via Getty Images (1949)

Sample of authors

Blackwood, Algernon

British writer Algernon Blackwood was born in the South East London district of Shooter’s Hill. In 1871 his family relocated to nearby Crayford. Both parents were stout Calvinists. In his teens, Blackwood broke away from their faith and embraced Buddhist teachings, thus forming a life-long penchant for oriental mysticism, occultism and theosophy. He studied at Wellington College in Berkshire a...

Further reading

Literary figures

Mike Hammer

Gender: Male

One of the most severely criticised literary figures of all times is Michael ‘Mike’ Hammer – a cynical, vengeful army veteran who completely lacks any sense of humour, a communist-hater and private detective, who is the protagonist in a row of bestselling novels by Mickey Spillane. Hammer’s only weak point is his love for his secretary Velda. This figure is in part loosely based on a real-life Tex...

Further reading