Ella Hepworth Dixon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ella Hepworth Dixon
Born	1857 Marylebone, London, England
Died	1932 London, England
Pen name	Margaret Wynman
Occupation	author, editor
Language	English
Nationality	British
Genre	novels
Notable works	The Story of a Modern Woman

Ella Hepworth Dixon (who also wrote as Margaret Wynman) was an English author and editor. She lived from 1857 to 1932. Her most famous book is The Story of a Modern Woman. This book is about a "New Woman" and has been printed again recently.

Early Life and Education

Ella Hepworth Dixon was born in London, England, on March 27, 1857. She was one of eight children. Her father, William Hepworth Dixon, was an editor. This meant he prepared books or magazines for publishing. Her family loved books and art. Many famous writers and thinkers visited their home. These visitors included Geraldine Jewsbury and T. H. Huxley.

Ella had a very good education for a girl at that time. She studied for a short time in Heidelberg, Germany. She and her sister Marion also trained in art. They showed their artwork in the UK. After her father died in 1879, money became difficult. Because of this, Ella started writing to earn a living. She used her family's connections in the writing world.

Career

Editor

In 1888, Ella became the editor of a magazine called The Woman's World. She was asked to do this by the famous writer Oscar Wilde. Later, in 1895, she also edited another magazine called The Englishwoman.

The Englishwoman magazine had many different sections. It was made for all kinds of women. There were sports stories and a section called "Society's Doings." This part included news about important social events, like "wedding of the month." There was also a fashion section that reviewed clothes. Literature was covered in a section called "Under the Lamp." The magazine also had short stories by popular authors. It featured interviews with famous people and monthly competitions. There were also articles about home and family life. This magazine was published every month.

Writer

Ella Hepworth Dixon also wrote books under the name Margaret Wynman. One of her books was My Flirtations. This book had lively sketches about the people she knew.

The cover of The Story of a Modern Woman (1894)

Her most famous book is The Story of a Modern Woman, published in 1894. This novel tells the story of a woman who tries to survive on her own after her father dies. It shows her struggles to earn money and deal with her feelings. The book suggests that women need to help each other in a society that expects women to always be polite and agreeable. Many people consider it one of the most touching "New Woman" novels. These novels often explored women's independence and changing roles. The Story of a Modern Woman was even translated into French. Because of this book, Ella Hepworth Dixon herself was sometimes called the "New Woman."

Ella spent a lot of time at social events with other writers. But she kept writing stories and articles. Her collection of stories was called One Doubtful Hour. She also wrote an autobiography, which is a book about her own life, called As I Knew Them. In 1908, her one-act play, The Toy-Shop of the Heart, was performed in London.

Personal Life

Ella Hepworth Dixon died in London on January 12, 1932. She was 74 years old.