Joseph Shearing(1885-1952)
- Writer
Her real name was Gabrielle Margaret Vere Long, née Campbell, but she's
best known under one of her most prolific pen names, Marjorie Bowen.
She became a writer to support her family after the death of her
alcoholic father, and published over 150 books under various pen names.
She began writing in 1906 and published steadily until her death. As
"Marjorie Bowen," she wrote many stories of ghosts and the
supernatural, and various novels, including "Black Magic," a horror
novel about female Satanist who disguises herself as a man and manages
to be elected Pope. As "George Preedy," she wrote a number of
historical novels. As "Joseph Shearing," she wrote a number of novels,
mostly fictionalized versions of real-life murders, and sometimes
offering her own solutions (her Shearing novels were the most popular
with filmmakers). She also wrote as "John Winch," "Robert Paye," and
"Margaret Campbell." In the 21st century her ghost stories (as Marjorie
Bowen) are occasionally reprinted, but the rest of her writings have
gone out of print and are ripe for rediscovery.
