Case 12
- Publisher 'Alien'
Alien. A daughter of the king. 2nd ed. London: Hutchinson, 1895.
Louisa Alice Baker
(1856-1926) was the author of 16 novels written under the pseudonym ‘Alien’,
due to her sense of alienation experienced in both New Zealand and England.
Born in Warwickshire, her family settled in Christchurch in 1863, before coming
to Dunedin in 1886. By 1894, she had written her first novel A daughter of the King and settled in London.
Alien. The untold half. London: Hutchinson, 1899.
The
first edition of Louisa Baker’s fifth novel was published in London. Yet her
Dunedin connection continued with her column ‘Alien’s Letter from England’ in
the Otago Witness from 1903. Most of
her novels are set in New Zealand and Southern landscapes feature frequently. This
curious prefatory note in The untold half
was written from a concern that British readers might struggle to understand
the New Zealand accent.
Alien. The devil’s half-acre. London: T. Fisher Unwin, 1900.
The
first edition of Louisa Baker’s sixth novel, published in London.
Alien. A maid of mettle. London: Digby, Long & Co., 1913.