Norman Douglas
Norman Douglas | |
|---|---|
Douglas in 1935 | |
| Born | George Norman Douglass 8 December 1868 |
| Died | 7 February 1952 (aged 83) Capri, Italy |
| Resting place | Cimitero acattolico ("Non-Roman-Catholic cemetery"), Capri 40°33′05″N 14°14′04″E / 40.5514°N 14.2345°E |
| Pen name | Normyx Pilaff Bey |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Language | English |
| Nationality | British |
| Notable works | South Wind Old Calabria Some Limericks |
| Spouse | Elizabeth Louisa Theobaldina FitzGibbon (1898–1903) |
George Norman Douglas (8 December 1868 – 7 February 1952) was a British writer, now best known for his 1917 novel South Wind. His travel books, such as Old Calabria (1915), were also appreciated for the quality of their writing.
His sexual encounters with children—girls and boys, some as young as eleven—led to charges of indecent assault and his flight from England to Italy. He subsequently fled Florence to avoid arrest for the rape of a 10-year-old girl. His biographer Rachel Hope Cleves described him in 2020 as "[b]y present standards ... a monster".