Miss Mapp

Benson (1867-1940) was an English novelist, biographer and short story writer best known for his Mapp and Lucia series, social satires written relatively late in his career which are set in the fictional town of Tilling based on Rye in East Sussex where Benson lived for many years and served as mayor from 1934. The novels recount humorous incidents in the lives of upper middle-class characters who vie for social prestige and one-upmanship in an atmosphere of extreme cultural snobbery. Miss Mapp (1922) was the second book in the series, following on from Queen Lucia (1920). ‘Mallards’, the home of Miss Mapp (and subsequently Lucia), is based on Lamb House in Rye which had previously been the residence of Henry James. The other books in the series are: Lucia in London (1927), Mapp and Lucia (1931), Lucia’s Progress (1935, published in the US as The Worshipful Lucia), and Trouble for Lucia (1939). The first three books concern only the protagonist named in the title, while the last three feature both Mapp and Lucia. The books have been adapted into TV series twice, and also for radio.