Rohmer, Sax |
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BORN 15 Feb 1883, Birmingham, West Midlands - DIED 1 Jun 1959, London BIRTH NAME Ward, Arthur Henry Sarsfield CAUSE OF DEATH pneumonia and stroke GRAVE LOCATION London: St Mary's Cemetery, Harrow Road, Kensal Green (C - Grave no. 1780) |
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Arthur Henry Ward was the son of the clerk William Ward (c1850-1932). His mother was Margaret Mary, born Furey (c1850-1901). He was destined for a career as a civil servant before he decided to become a writer. In 1903 he sold his short story "The Mysterious Mummy" to Pearson's Weekly. He wrote for music hall performers before he used the name Sax Rohmer and concentrated on fiction. In 1909 he married Rose Elizabeth Knox (1886-1979). In 1911 he wrote "Little Tich" as a ghost writer for the music hall performer Little Tich. After that he started authoring his novel "The Mystery of Dr. Fu-Manchu" and it was serialized in 1912/1913. It was an instant success, and he wrote several further Fu Manchu stories until 1917. In 1931 he continued the series with "The Daughter of Fu Manchu". Between 1931 and 1959 he wrote 10 more Fu Manchu books. He wrote other books as well. "The Romance of Sorcery" (1914) was praised by Harry Houdini, and the two men became friends. Rohmer claimed that Houdini even helped him out when he was stuck in a story. Houdini certainly entertained him to distract him from his stress. After Houdini's death, Rohmer's main literary influence, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, condemned Houdini for discrediting the supernatural and at the same time using it in his own acts. Rohmer defended Houdini and it damaged his friendhip with Doyle. After the Second World War, he permanently moved to New York with his wife. In the 1950s he wrote books about a character named Sumuru. In 1958 his wife Rose published her novel "Bianca in Black" under the name of Elizabeth Sax Rohmer. Shortly after he returned to London he died in 1959. After his death Elizabeth wrote a biography of him, assisted by his friend and former assistant Cay van Ash (1918-1994). It was published in 1972. Related persons • was a friend of Doyle, Arthur Conan • was a friend of Houdini, Harry |
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 The grave of Sax Rohmer at St. Mary's Cemetery, Kensal Green, London. Picture by Androom (08 Feb 2012) |
