Gilbert Frankau

Alyson Pendlebury (University of Southampton)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.08: English Writing and Culture of the early Twentieth Century , 1900-1945.
Vol. editors: Chris Baldick (Goldsmiths College, University of London), Peter Childs (Birmingham Newman University), Louise McDonald (Birmingham Newman University), Andrew Radford (University of Glasgow)

Dates

Born 21 Apr 1884
Died 4 Nov 1952
Activity 1901-1952

Places

Born in England
Active in England

Activities

Primary

Autobiographer
Journalist
Novelist
Poet
Soldier
Story-writer
Travel writer

Resources

Frankau's Works

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Gilbert Frankau was born in London on April 21, 1884, the eldest son of Arthur Frankau (ca. 1845-1904) and his wife Julia (

nèe

Davis, 1859-1916). His father ran Joseph Frankau & Co., the cigar importing business that had been established by Gilbert's paternal grandfather, who had moved from Diespak, Bavaria, to London in 1837. Gilbert's mother wrote fiction under the pseudonym “Frank Danby”. Her novels included

Dr Phillips, a Maida Vale Idyll

(1887), in which she attacked the aspirations and values of middle-class Jews, and

Pigs in Clover

(1903).

Although both his parents were Jewish, Gilbert Frankau was discouraged from identifying with Jews and Judaism, and was baptised into the Anglican Church at the age of thirteen. He went to Eton, which provided the material for his first

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1073 words

Citation: Pendlebury, Alyson. "Gilbert Frankau". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 27 November 2002 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=5205, accessed 25 November 2024.]