Richard Le Gallienne Biography

Richard Le Gallienne (January 20, 1866 - September 15, 1947) was an English author. The American actress Eva Le Gallienne (1899-1991) was his daughter, by his second marriage.

He was born in Liverpool. He started work in an accountant's office, but abandoned this job to become a professional writer. The book My Ladies' Sonnets appeared during 1887, and during 1889 be became for a brief time literary secretary to Wilson Barrett.

He joined the staff of the newspaper The Star during 1891, and wrote for various papers by the name Logroller. He contributed to The Yellow Book, and associated with the Rhymer's Club.

His first wife, Mildred Lee, died during 1894, and during 1897 he married Julie Noiregard, subsequently becoming a resident of the United States. They divorced a few years later. During 1906 he translated, from the Danish, Peter Nansen's Loves Trilogy.

In later times he knew Llewelyn Powys and John Cowper Powys.

Asked how to say his name, he told The Literary Digest the stress was "on the last syllable: le gal-i-enn'. As a rule I hear it pronounced as if it were spelled 'gallion,' which, of course, is wrong." (Charles Earle Funk, What's the Name, Please?, Funk & Wagnalls, 1936.)