# Laurence Housman

## Biography

Laurence Housman was an English artist, writer, and illustrator, born in Bromsgrove in 1865. He was the younger brother of the poet A.E. Housman and a close collaborator with his sister, Clemence Housman, also an artist and writer. After studying art in London, he began his career primarily as an illustrator, contributing to notable works like Christina Rossetti's *Goblin Market*.

As his eyesight declined, Housman increasingly turned to writing, becoming a prolific author of plays, novels, and short stories. He is perhaps best known for his dramatic works, particularly *Victoria Regina*, a series of plays about Queen Victoria. Beyond his literary pursuits, Housman was a dedicated social activist. He was a prominent figure in the women's suffrage movement, co-founding organizations like the Men's League for Women's Suffrage and the Suffrage Atelier, and advocating for the cause through his writings and speeches. He was also a committed pacifist, a socialist, and an early advocate for homosexual law reform, supporting the British Society for the Study of Sex Psychology. Housman died in 1959.

## Books

- [Stories from The Arabian Nights](https://samolit.com/books/96359)