Ladbroke Lionel Day Black (21 June 1877 – 27 July 1940) was an
English journalist and
author who wrote mysteries, fantasy and science fiction stories often under
pseudonyms such as Lionel Day, Lewis Jackson and Paul Urquhart.
Black was born in
Burley-in-Wharfedale and was educated in
Ireland and at
Cambridge.
He was appointed assistant editor of
The Phoenix 1897-1899 before taking up a similar position with
The Morning Herald in London. In 1901 he became assistant editor of
The Echo, joint editor of
Today 1904-1905 and was a special writer on the
Weekly Dispatch between 1905 and 1911.
He published his first novel,
A Muddied Oaf co-written with
Francis Rutter in 1902. He collaborated with
Robert Lynd on the 1906 collection
The Mantle of the Emperor. With
Thomas Meech he wrote a series of noevls beginning with
The Eagle (1906) under the pen name Paul Urquhart. He also wrote for newspapers and magazines, sometimes under the pen name Lionel Day. He also wrote some
Sexton Blake books, but he is better known for his own detective creation
Havlock Preed.
He lived in
Wendover for many years. He married Margaret Ambrose and they had two sons and two daughters. His son Stephen Black was also an author; his daughter Brigit Ursula Hope Black (Biddy) married
Erasmus Darwin Barlow.
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