Gladys Skelton
Australian poet, playwright and author (1885-1975), in UK from early adulthood
About Gladys Skelton
Lived 1885 – 1975 (aged 90). Gladys Skelton was an Australian and British writer, poet and playwright.
Gladys Skelton (6 September 1885 – 29 September 1975) was an Australian and United Kingdom poet, novelist and playwright who wrote using the pseudonym John Presland.
Early life Gladys Skelton was born Gladys Williams in Melbourne in 1885.
Career Skelton gained history honours at Girton College, Cambridge University and was a university lecturer in English literature and lecturer in history and economics. She was one of a group of women writers who used a male pseudonym.
Personal life In 1920 Skelton obtained a divorce from her husband John Herbert Skelton on the grounds of desertion and adultery but the decree nisi was rescinded in 1921. Skelton married Francis Edmund Bendit in Hampstead in March 1943.
She died in England in 1975. Mosaic (1929) The Charioteer (1930) Albatross (1931)
Poetry
The Deluge and Other Poems (1911) Songs of Changing Skies (1913) Poems of London and Other Verses (1918) The Shaken Reed (1943) Selected Poems (1961)
Plays
The Marionettes (1907) - a puppet show Joan of Arc (1909) - historical drama Mary Queen of Scots (1910) - historical drama Manin and the Defence of Venice (1911) Marcus Aurelius (1912) Belisarius, General of the East (1913) King Monmouth (1916) Satni (1929)
Non-fiction
Vae Victis: the life of Ludwig von Benedek, 1804-1881. (1934) Women in the civilized state (1934)
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
People in Gladys Skelton's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Related people
Same field, nearest in time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Gladys Skelton's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Gladys Skelton?
Australian poet, playwright and author (1885-1975), in UK from early adulthood
When was Gladys Skelton born?
Gladys Skelton was born on 6 September 1885.
When did Gladys Skelton die?
Gladys Skelton died on 29 September 1975.
What was Gladys Skelton's occupation?
Gladys Skelton was a writer, poet and playwright.
What nationality was Gladys Skelton?
Gladys Skelton was Australian and British.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Gladys Skelton. https://biography.guide/gladys-skelton/
MLA: "Gladys Skelton." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/gladys-skelton/.
Chicago: "Gladys Skelton." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/gladys-skelton/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 04:59 UTC