Ernest William Hornung (professionally known as E. W. Hornung; 1866–1921), was an English poet and writer. From a Hungarian background, Hornung was educated at Uppingham School; as a result of poor health he left the school in December 1883 to travel to Sydney, where he stayed for two years. He returned in early 1886 when his father was dying and bankrupt, and began writing professionally shortly afterwards.

Hornung had his first work published in 1887—the short story "Stroke of Five" in Belgravia magazine. His first novel, A Bride from the Bush, was published in 1890, and Hornung used his Australian experiences as a backdrop to the story. He went on to use Australia as a setting or plot element in a further seven novels and two collections of short stories.

In 1899 The Amateur Cracksman was published, a series of short stories that introduced A. J. Raffles, a gentleman thief in late-Victorian Britain. Hornung dedicated the book to his friend, the writer Arthur Conan Doyle: "To A.C.D. This form of flattery", and the narrative form is similar to Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories, with Raffles and his partner Bunny Manders being the criminal counterparts to Holmes and Dr. Watson. Two further short story collections and a novel followed, as did a play, Raffles, The Amateur Cracksman, first shown at the Princess Theatre, New York in 1903. It is for the character of Raffles that Hornung is best remembered.

In 1893 Hornung married Constance Doyle (1868–1924), the sister of Arthur Conan Doyle and in 1895 their son, Arthur Oscar, was born. Oscar was killed at the Second Battle of Ypres in July 1915. It marked the end of Hornung's work in fiction, and after that point he published three works of poetry—two of which were first published in The Times—and two volumes of non-fiction: a biography of his son and an account of his time working at the front line as ambulance driver, rest-station attendant and for the YMCA. Hornung's fragile constitution was further weakened by the stress of his war work. To aid his recuperation, he and his wife visited the South of France in 1921. He fell ill from influenza on the journey, and died on 22 March 1922, aged 54.

Publications in periodicals This list may be incomplete. Four Raffles stories ("Le Premier Pas", "Wilful Murder", "The Knees of the Gods", and "The Last Word") were not published in periodicals and only appeared in short story collections.

Title Date of publication Periodical Details Belgravia Vol 64, page 70; subtitled "a story" Belgravia Vol 64, page 76; subtitled "a story" Cornhill Magazine Vol 61, pages 1–25 Cornhill Magazine Vol 61, pages 89–112 Cornhill Magazine Vol 61, pages 201–24 Cornhill Magazine Vol 61, pages 315–36 Cornhill Magazine Vol 61, pages 429–48 Cornhill Magazine Vol 61, pages 543–60 Author credited as "S. W. Hornung" – – Chambers's Journal Fifth series, vol 9, pages 154–57; subtitled "a story" Chambers's Journal Fifth series, vol 9, pages 169–71; subtitled "a story" Chambers's Journal Fifth series, vol 9, pages 183–86; subtitled "a story" Chambers's Journal Fifth series, vol 9, pages 200–01; subtitled "a story" – Longman's Magazine Vol 19, pages 614–37; subtitled "a story" – Vol 4, pages 349–65; subtitled "a story" Pall Mall Gazette – – Longman's Magazine Vol 24, pages 76–102 Longman's Magazine Vol 24, pages 191–210 Longman's Magazine Vol 24, pages 296–321 Longman's Magazine Vol 24, pages 412–32 Longman's Magazine Vol 24, pages 522–43 Longman's Magazine Vol 24, pages 628–54 Temple Bar – – Chambers's Journal Fifth series, vol 12, pages 74–77 Chambers's Journal Fifth series, vol 12, pages 89–91 Chambers's Journal Fifth series, vol 12, pages 104–07 Chambers's Journal Fifth series, vol 12, pages 119–22 Pall Mall Gazette – Cassell's Family Magazine Introduced character of Stingaree Chambers's Journal Fifth series, vol 13, pages 6–9 Chambers's Journal Fifth series, vol 13, pages 23–26 Chambers's Journal Fifth series, vol 13, pages 55–58 Cassell's Family Magazine – Cassell's Magazine The first A. J. Raffles story Cassell's Magazine A. J. Raffles story Cassell's Magazine A. J. Raffles story Cassell's Magazine A. J. Raffles story Cassell's Magazine A. J. Raffles story Cassell's Magazine A. J. Raffles story Cassell's Magazine Vol 79, pages 662–65 – – Scribner's Magazine A. J. Raffles story; Vol 29, pages 30–43; subtitled "More Adventures of the Amateur Cracksman" Scribner's Magazine A. J. Raffles story; Vol 29, pages 220–31; subtitled "More Adventures of the Amateur Cracksman" Scribner's Magazine A. J. Raffles story; Vol 29, pages 227–91; subtitled "More Adventures of the Amateur Cracksman" Scribner's Magazine A. J. Raffles story; Vol 29, pages 483–94; subtitled "More Adventures of the Amateur Cracksman" Scribner's Magazine A. J. Raffles story; Vol 29, pages 591–600; subtitled "More Adventures of the Amateur Cracksman" Scribner's Magazine A. J. Raffles story; Vol 29, pages 707–20; subtitled "More Adventures of the Amateur Cracksman" Scribner's Magazine A. J. Raffles story; Vol 30, pages 343–50; subtitled "More Adventures of the Amateur Cracksman" Pall Mall Magazine Serialised January–May Also published the same month in Atlantic Monthly, Vol 91, pages 738–48 Stingaree story Stingaree story Stingaree story Stingaree story Pall Mall Magazine A. J. Raffles story Stingaree story Pall Mall Magazine A. J. Raffles story Stingaree story Pall Mall Magazine A. J. Raffles story Stingaree story Pall Mall Magazine A. J. Raffles story Stingaree story Pall Mall Magazine A. J. Raffles story Pall Mall Magazine A. J. Raffles story Pall Mall Magazine A. J. Raffles story Pall Mall Magazine A. J. Raffles story Pall Mall Magazine A. J. Raffles story London Mercury Vol 4, pages 150–63

Novels and story collections

+ The novels and story collections of E. W. Hornung Title Year of first publication (UK and US) UK publisher US publisher Notes Smith, Elder & Co. (London) US Book Co. (New York) Novel Under Two Skies A & C Black (London) Macmillan & Co. (New York) Short story collection; subtitled "a collection of stories" Tiny Luttrell Cassell (London) Cassell (New York) Novel; two volumes Bliss, Sands & Foster (London) Scribner's (New York) Novel; US edition first published in 1900 Longmans, Green & Co. (London) Longmans (New York) Novel Irralie's Bushranger Beeman (London) Scribner's (New York) Novel Cassell (London) Scribner's (New York) Novel; subtitled "A Romance" My Lord Duke Cassell (London) Scribner's (New York) Novel; published first in the US in 1896, published in the UK in 1897 Some Persons Unknown Cassell (London) Scribner's (New York) Short story collection Young Blood Cassell (London) Scribner's (New York) Novel; published in the US in 1899 Methuen Publishing (London) Scribner's (New York) Short story collection Dead Men Tell No Tales Methuen Publishing (London) Scribner's (New York) Novel Richards (London) Scribner's (New York) Novel; published in 1901 in the US, as The Shadow of a Man Peccavi Richards (London) Scribner's (New York) Novel Richards (London) Scribner's (New York) Short story collection; published in the US as Raffles: Further Adventures of the Amateur Cracksman At Large – Scribner's (New York) Novel Chatto & Windus (London) Scribner's (New York) Novel Denis Dent Isbister (London) Stokes (New York) Novel; subtitled "A Novel" No Hero Smith, Elder & Co. (London) Scribner's (New York) Novel Stingaree Chatto & Windus (London) Scribner's (New York) Novel Chatto & Windus (London) Scribner's (New York) Short story collection; republished as A Thief in the Night: Further Adventures of A. J. Raffles, Cricketer and Cracksman Raffles: The Amateur Cracksman Eveleigh Nash (London) – Short story collection; stories taken from The Amateur Cracksman and The Black Mask Mr. Justice Raffles Smith, Elder & Co. (London) Scribner's (New York) Novel Unwin (London) Scribner's (New York) Novel Fathers of Men Smith, Elder & Co. (London) Scribner's (New York) Novel Eveleigh Nash (London) (Indianapolis) Novel Witching Hill Hodder & Stoughton (London) Scribner's (New York) Short story collection Eveleigh Nash (London) – Short story collection Old Offenders and a Few Old Scores John Murray (London) – Short story collection; published posthumously

Plays

+ The plays of E. W. Hornung Title First performance Publisher Notes Raffles, The Amateur Cracksman Samuel French Ltd. (1928) By Hornung and Eugéne Presbrey; first performed at the Princess Theatre, New York Stingaree, the Bushranger – First performed at the Queen's Theatre, London – By Hornung and Charles Sansom; first performed at the Brixton Empress Theatre, London

Non-fiction + E.W. Hornung's non-fictional work Title Year of first publication First edition publisher Notes Privately published (Colchester, Essex) Biography of his son, killed in the First World War Notes of a Camp-Follower on the Western Front Constable (London) Account of his experience with the YMCA during the First World War; US edition, published by E. P. Dutton & Co., incorporates most of the poems included in The Young Guard

Poetry + Hornung's poetry Title Year of first publication First edition publisher Category Ballad of Ensign Joy Dutton Books (New York) War poetry Wooden Cross Nisbet (London) War poetry Constable (London) War poetry

Notes and references Notes

References

Sources

External links

Works by E. W. Hornung at Project Gutenberg Works by E. W. Hornung at Internet Archive at Internet Archive