The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-07-05
Has Finally Chosen Title for His New Romance
 of Iceland
HYNE IS HEAD OF
 MOVIES" COMPANY
Winston Churchill to Complete Lord WolseIey's Unfinished History of Great Duke of Marlborough.
 Literary Gossip
By HAYDEN CHURCH

London, July Special l)-Maurice Hewlett, who has just consented, after much urging to give series of read ings from his works in the United States talked with me for half an hour or more yesterday about his forthcoming trip across the water and his literary plans generally.
 ."This will be my first visit to your country" said Hewlett, as We sat in the study of his house in Northwick Terrace, St. Johns Wood. and l am looking forward to 1t with keen pleas ure l am planning, now to arrive in the United States on or about February 1 next, and to sail home again about April l. No, I'm afraid I've hardly given a thought to exactly what my readings will be-"
 He added that he will visit most of the big American cities. where, no doubt, he will be feted and lionized to the extent of his physical endurance. He will be lucky, in fact, if he escapes the plight of Arnold Bennett, who declares that he has not yet recovered from the effects of his travels in your United States"
 Striking Looking Man
 Hewlett, who was born in the year therefore, 53, looks, his American hosts and audiences will be delighted to find, exactly as everyone hoped the author of The Forest Lovers" would look. He might in fact, be 6 Vandyke portrait come to life. The bright, rather sad eyes are there, the greyed hair. the touch of an imperial beneath the wel-cut mouth, and general repose of manner that one can only describe as courtly. He be- gan, of course, as d lawyer, like Anthony Hope, and for four years, or rom 1896 to l9OO was keeper of land records and enrollments, a quaint post, which must have supplied him with no end of plots and ideas. Incidentally he is steeped in mediaevalism. and is one of the greatest authorities on the subject. It was i'll health that first made him try his hand seriously at literature. and like others of his brother and sister novelists, he got his first recognition in America, where his maiden volume. '.Earthwork out of Tuscany" enjoyed for greater sale than it had in these islands
 Asked the other day what Hewlett's s main interests Were, apart from his work, one of his personal friends re- piled, The has none. He is literary artist and nothing else" And, on re- ferring to the invaluable Who's Who?," l find he Is one of the few of the thou sands of the great and great listed therein who own up to no ''recrea- tons"
 At present he is at work on new novel, and, internationally. Is dabbling in play writing again. A piece of his, 1t may be remembered, called Pan and the Young Shepherd,' was done in Lon don some months ago, but 1t scored rather an artistic than a box office sue cess. Meanwhile arrangements for the publication of the last romance he has finished are proceeding on both sides of the Atlantic. Named definitely, "A Lovers Tale.' this Is the Icelandic TO- nance of which I wrote some weeks back. It Is stirring novel, ostensibly compiled from an ancient sage, but really, In every incident, the product of it's authors own imagination. The general style is that of Hewlett's "Iit- tie Novels of Italy" which were sup posed to be derived from folklore, but which were purely their authors im- aginipgs and are considered by many to be his best work up to date.