Benjamin Leopold Farjeon (12 May 1838 – 23 July 1903) was a British novelist, playwright, printer and journalist. As an author, he was known for his huge output.

Farjeon was born in London to Dinah Levy and Jacob Farjeon, Orthodox Jews. He was raised in Whitechapel

Whitechapel

Whitechapel is a built-up inner city district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, London, England. It is located east of Charing Cross and roughly bounded by the Bishopsgate thoroughfare on the west, Fashion Street on the north, Brady Street and Cavell Street on the east and The Highway on the...

 and had no formal secular education. At fourteen, he entered the office of the Nonconformist, a Christian journal, to learn the printing trade. He broke away from the strict faith of his father and in 1854 immigrated to Australia. During the voyage he was moved from steerage to cabin class because he had produced some numbers of a ship newspaper, the Ocean Record.

Farjeon worked as a gold miner in Victoria (Australia)

Victoria (Australia)

Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....

, started a newspaper, then went to New Zealand in 1861. He settled at Dunedin

Dunedin

Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...

, working as a journalist on the Otago Daily Times

Otago Daily Times

The Otago Daily Times is a newspaper published by Allied Press Ltd in Dunedin, New Zealand.-History:Originally styled The Otago Daily Times, the ODT was first published on November 15, 1861. It is New Zealand's oldest surviving daily newspaper - Christchurch's The Press, six months older, was a...

, edited by Julius Vogel

Julius Vogel

Sir Julius Vogel, KCMG was the eighth Premier of New Zealand. His administration is best remembered for the issuing of bonds to fund railway construction and other public works...

. Farjeon became manager and sub-editor. He began writing novels and plays. He attracted the attention of Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens

Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...

. In 1868 he returned to Britain and lived in London in the Adelphi Theatre

Adelphi Theatre

The Adelphi Theatre is a 1500-seat West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receiving house for a variety of productions, including many musicals...

. Over the next thirty-five years he produced nearly sixty novels. Many of his works were illustrated by his long-time friend Nicholas Chevalier

Nicholas Chevalier

Nicholas Chevalier was an Australian artist.-Early life:Chevalier was born in St Petersburg, Russia, the son of Louis Chevalier, who came from Vaud, Switzerland, and was overseer to the estates of the Prince de Wittgenstein in Russia. Nicholas' mother was Russian...

.

Farjeon married Margaret Jane "Maggie" Jefferson, daughter of the American actor Joseph Jefferson

Joseph Jefferson

Joseph Jefferson, commonly known as Joe Jefferson , was an American actor. He was the third actor of this name in a family of actors and managers, and one of the most famous of all American comedians....

, on 6 June 1877. He was the father of J. Jefferson Farjeon, Eleanor Farjeon

Eleanor Farjeon

Eleanor Farjeon was an English author of children's stories and plays, poetry, biography, history and satire. Many of her works had charming illustrations by Edward Ardizzone. Some of her correspondence has also been published...

, Herbert Farjeon

Herbert Farjeon

Herbert Farjeon was a major figure in the British theatre from 1910 until his death. He was a presenter of revues in London's West End, a theatre critic, lyricist, librettist, playwright, theatre manager and researcher....

, and Harry Farjeon

Harry Farjeon

Harry Farjeon was a British composer.He was born in Hohokus, New Jersey, USA, the eldest son of Jewish author Benjamin Farjeon, and Margaret, the daughter of American actor Joseph Jefferson. His parents returned to Britain when he was a baby and he lived in Hampstead in London for the rest of his...

. He died in Hampstead

Hampstead

Hampstead is an area of London, England, north-west of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Camden in Inner London, it is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations and for Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland...

 on 23 July 1903, aged 65.

Selected novels

• Shadows on the Snow: A Christmas Story (1865)
• Grif: a Story of Australian Life (1866)
• Jessie Trim (1870)
• Blade-o'-Grass: A Christmas Story (1871)
• Joshua Marvel (1871)
• London's Heart (1873)
• Bread-and-Cheese and Kisses: A Christmas Story (1873)
• Golden Grain (1874)
• The Duchess of Rosemary Lane (1876)
• At the Sign of the Silver Flagon (1880)
• Great Porter Square: A Mystery (1884)
• The House of White Shadows (1884)
• In a Silver Sea (1886)
• A Secret Inheritance (1887)
• The Tragedy of Featherstone (1887)
• Devlin the Barber (1888)
• Toilers of Babylon (1888)
• The Mystery of M. Felix (1890)
• The Last Tenant (1893)
• Aaron the Jew (1894) (US title: A Fair Jewess)
• Miriam Rozella (1898)
• The Mesmerists (1900)

External links

• Herbert Farjeon archive at the University of Bristol Theatre Collection, University of Bristol
  University of Bristol
  The University of Bristol is a public research university located in Bristol, United Kingdom. One of the so-called "red brick" universities, it received its Royal Charter in 1909, although its predecessor institution, University College, Bristol, had been in existence since 1876.The University is...
  
  
• Shadows on the Snow: a Christmas story at NZetc website
• Grif: a story of colonial life at NZetc website