The Spiral Staircase

Ethel Lina White was born on the 2nd April 1876 in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, in Wales.

Her family were wealthy due to her father's invention of a waterproofing material used, initially, for the London Underground.

Ethel started writing when she was only a child and published essays and poems in children's papers. She was also a talented artist.

As an adult she began to write short stories and, some years later, she started writing novels. At the time she was working for the Ministry of Pensions in London but resigned in order to accept an advance of ten pounds and begin a career as a novelist. It was this determination that helped her become one of the best-known crime writers in the English-speaking world during the 1930's and 40's.

Perhaps her best-known books are the 'The Lady Vanishes' and 'The Spiral Staircase' both of which were originally entitled differently but were republished with new names after being filmed. Whilst today she lacks attention, in her day she was as popular and as highly regarded as Agatha Christie.

Ethel Lina White died in London on the 13th of August 1944 of ovarian cancer. She was 68.

In her will she made a bizarre condition in order for her sister to receive her estate of £5737. It read: "I give and bequeath unto Annis Dora White all that I possess on condition she pays a qualified surgeon to plunge a knife into my heart after death." In life she had a fear of being buried alive.

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