Amabel Williams-Ellis

Amabel Williams-Ellis, born Mary Annabel Nassau Strachey on 10 May 1894, was an English writer and critic. She was an early member of the Bloomsbury Group. Williams-Ellis was active as a publisher, editor, translator, and anthologist, compiling collections of fairy stories, folk tales, and science fiction.

She was born at Newlands Corner, near Guildford, Surrey. Her father was John Strachey, a journalist and newspaper proprietor, and her mother was Amy (née Simpson). Her cousin was Lytton Strachey. Her childhood was described as "glittering and comfortable."

During World War I, Williams-Ellis served as a nurse with the Voluntary Aid Detachment. This experience contributed to her developing an interest in science and anatomy. She subsequently wrote scientific materials aimed at children, focusing on notable discoveries and addressing common inquiries of young readers.

On 31 July 1915, she married Clough Williams-Ellis, an architect. Their collaborations included a history of the Tank Corps and "The Pleasures of Architecture," published in 1924. Together, they had three children: a son and two daughters. Their daughter, Susan Caroline Williams-Ellis (1918–2007), became a ceramics designer and manufacturer. Their son was killed during World War II.

Between 1922 and 1923, Williams-Ellis served as literary editor of The Spectator. She identified as attracted to socialism and described herself as a "class traitor."

Throughout her career, Williams-Ellis authored over 40 books, covering genres such as novels, children's books, and histories. She contributed regularly to periodicals and edited multiple collections of folk legends, fairy tales, and science fiction. She was influenced by Mary Kingsley, whom she met in childhood; Williams-Ellis regarded Kingsley as "an anthropologist before anthropology." The Times described her as someone who "wrote books to find things out, and seemed prepared to take on anything."

Amabel Williams-Ellis passed away on 27 August 1984 at the age of 90. In the years prior to her death, she published a memoir titled "All Stracheys Are Cousins," which reflected her optimistic outlook and a life filled with activity and accomplishment.

Her notable publications include "The Tank Corps" (1919, with Clough Williams-Ellis), "Anatomy of Poetry" (1922), "The Pleasures of Architecture" (1924, with Clough Williams-Ellis), "Men Who Found Out: Stories of Great Scientific Discoverers" (1929), "The Exquisite Tragedy: An Intimate Life of John Ruskin" (1929), "The Voyage of the Beagle: Adapted from the Narratives and Letters of Charles Darwin and Captain Fitz Roy" (1931), "The Art of Being a Woman" (1951), "Fairy Tales from the British Isles" (1960), and "Darwin's Moon: A Biography of Alfred Russel Wallace" (1966).