Edwy Searles Brooks

Infobox Writer
name = Edwy Searles Brooks


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pseudonym = Berkeley Gray, Victor Gunn, Rex Madison, Carlton Ross, Reginald Browne plus many more.
birthdate = birth date|1889|11|11|df=y
birthplace = Hackney, London, England
deathdate = death date and age|1965|12|2|1889|11|11|df=y
deathplace =
occupation = Writer
nationality = British
period = 1907 - 1965
genre = Adventure fiction
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movement =
influences = P. G. Wodehouse, Charles Hamilton, Jules Verne, H Rider Haggard, Sabatini
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website =

Edwy Searles Brooks (11 November 1889 - 2 December 1965) was a British novelist who also wrote under the pseudonyms Berkeley Gray, Victor Gunn, Rex Madison, and Carlton Ross. It is estimated that Brooks's output amounted to 800 novels.

Brooks was born in Hackney, London.

He published his first short story, "Mr Dorien's Missing £2000", in July of 1907, when he was seventeen. His first major breakthrough came in 1910, when the magazine "The Gem" gave him an assignment to publish a serial named "The Iron Island", the main character being Frank Kingston.

In 1912, he wrote his first Sexton Blake stories. In 1915, he started writing stories for the Nelson Lee Library, becoming the lead writer in the series. He also created stories for the St. Frank series in 1917.

Additional serial assignments followed, including those featuring Clive Derring and Sexton Blake. In 1918, he launched the character of Rupert Waldo, an early superhero.

Also in 1918, he married Frances nee Goldstein, who became his assistant and collaborator through the years. The two took great pride in delivering clean manuscripts for publication throughout their careers. They became a cornerstone of the Amalgamated Press imprints.

The magazines that had published his stories started running into financial trouble in the 1930s, and Brooks started publishing hardcover novels for the adult market in 1938 with the first novel in the Norman Conquest series under the pseudonym of Berkeley Gray. He also published stories and novels as Victor Gunn featuring "Ironsides" Cromwell. He may have also continued publishing stories through D C Thomson Ltd, a Dundee-based rival of Amalgamated that was less affected by paper shortage.

His serialized novels included the "Norman Conquest" and "Ironsides Cromwell" stories. "Dare-Devil Conquest" formed the basis for the 1954 movie "Park Plaza 605" starring Tom Conway.

Brooks continued to write throughout his life, though his productivity varied at times. An avid motorist, he traveled extensively. He enjoyed a long and harmonious marriage.

Sadly Brooks died very quickly. He was taken into Croydon hospital where it was diagnosed he had prostate cancer. He died within 10 days. His widow Frances, stated within a letter to a collector, that this shouldn't have happened and she was not happy with the service of the hospital. Frances only survived Edwy by three years. Their son Leonard has two sons who are now in their late 40's. Nothing has been heard of them for quite a few years now.

elected publications

References

* cite web|url=http://www.caldicott.demon.co.uk/esbbiog.htm |accessdate=2007-03-03
title=Biographical outline for Edwy Searles Brooks
author=Mark Caldicott
work=The Nelson Lee Library and Bibliography of the Writings of Edwy Searles Brooks
year=1995