Pen name Francis Brien Name Hilary Lofting | Language English Role Novelist | |
Born 23 May 1881
London, England ( 1881-05-23 ) Occupation Novelist, Travel writer, Journalist, Editor Nationality Australia (immigrant from England, in 1915) Genre Short story, Travel writing Notable works The Happy Vagabond (1928, Co-author of Margaret Fane)
Bail Up! (1939) Died May 3, 1939, Manly, Sydney, Australia Education St Edmund's College, Cambridge | ||
Hilary Joseph Francis Lofting (23 May 1881 – 3 May 1939) was an Australian novelist, travel writer, journalist and editor.
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He was the eldest brother of Hugh Lofting (1886-1947, Doctor Dolittle's author).
Personal life
Hilary was born in London, England, to English and Irish parents. He was the eldest of five boys and one girl.
He studied Architectural Engineering at St Edmund's College, Cambridge. After graduating, he was involved in railway construction around Ireland, continental Europe and Argentina as a civil engineer. He returned to England after finishing the work, and volunteered for military service, but was twice rejected.
In 1915, he married May Wheatcroft in London, and the couple moved to Australia in 1917. Hilary was encouraged by friends to write about his experiences in Buenos Aires, under the pseudonym of "Francis Brien". His travel writing was well received and caught the eye of David McKee Wright who was editor of The Bulletin, and published Hilary's writing. Hilary decided to be a full-time writer and quit civil engineering, but May was opposed to his career change.
The following year, Hilary was remarried to Margaret Fane, who was Wright's ex-wife. Hilary and Fane collaborated on short stories published in The Sydney Mail, The Sydney Morning Herald and other magazines. Hilary was friends with Christopher Brennan who spent more than a year in Hilary's house until 1926.
In 1939, Hilary died in Manly, New South Wales. Hilary was listed alongside Edward J. O'Brien, Henry Handel Richardson and Alan Marshall as one of the excellent short story writers in Australia.