Thirteen Guests

Joseph Jefferson Farjeon was born on the 4th June 1883 in Hampstead, London into a prominent and multi-talented literary and theatrical family.

Before establishing himself as a full-time author, he spent a decade from 1910 to 1920 working in editorial roles for the Amalgamated Press in London. In 1924 he published his debut mystery novel, ‘The Master Criminal’.

Over his incredibly industrious career, he penned more than 80 suspense novels and a string of successful theatrical plays. He was deeply praised by his peers for his sharp and striking wit, and a unique ability to construct genuinely eerie, hair-raising atmospheres.

His 1925 stage play ‘Number 17’ introduced his most celebrated recurring character, Ben the Tramp, a beloved accidental amateur sleuth. The play was later famously adapted into a feature thriller film by legendary director Alfred Hitchcock in 1932. In fact, Farjeon wrote many screenplays and original stories for early British cinema.

J Jefferson Farjeon died on the 6th June 1955 at Hove in Sussex. He was 72.