Skip to Main Content (Press Enter)

Baroness Emmuska Orczy

 
E O

About the Author

Baroness Emmuska Orczy—artist, playwright, and author—was born in Tarnaörs, Hungary, in 1865. Although all her manuscripts were written in English, she did not learn the language until she and her parents, Baron Felix and Countess Emma Orczy, moved to London when she was fifteen. Schooled as a painter, she married fellow art student John Montagu Barstow in 1894. Although some of her paintings were accepted by the Royal Academy in London, the influence of the works of Charles Dickens and Bret Harte, as well as newly popular light fiction from America, encouraged her to write. A prolific author, the baroness penned dozens of romantic novels, detective stories, and plays, but is best remembered for The Scarlet Pimpernel. Based on an idea that came to her on a London underground platform, the story took just five weeks to write and become a huge success in print, on stage, and in film. Her other works include The Man in Grey, Skin O’ My Tooth, The Laughing Cavalier, and Eldorado, a sequel to The Scarlet Pimpernel. Baroness Orczy died in London in 1947.

Sign me up for news about Baroness Emmuska Orczy and more from Penguin Random House

Books by Baroness Emmuska Orczy

More Series From Baroness Emmuska Orczy

Modern Library Classics

Be the first to know!
We’ll send you the latest updates about Baroness Emmuska Orczy
We’ll send you the latest updates about Baroness Emmuska Orczy
By clicking “SIGN UP”, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to Penguin Random House’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and understand that Penguin Random House collects certain categories of personal information for the purposes listed in that policy, discloses, sells, or shares certain personal information and retains personal information in accordance with the policy. You can opt-out of the sale or sharing of personal information anytime.
Dismiss
Thanks!
Something awesome is on its way.
Back to Top