Louis Stone

Who was Louis Stone?

Louis Stone was an Australian novelist and playwright.

Stone was born in Leicester, England, baptized as William Lewis, son of William Stone, a basketmaker, and his wife Emma, née Tewkes.

Stone qualified as a primary school teacher in 1895 and had temporary teaching positions until he obtained a regular teaching job at Cootamundra. In 1901 Stone was transferred to South Wagga Wagga where he met Thomas Blamey who was influenced by Stone.

Around 1908 Stone married Abigail Allen and also began to write a novel Jonah, published in London in 1911. Stone published his second novel Betty Wayside published in 1915.

In 1933, Stone's Jonah was republished by Percy Stephensen; it was also published in the United States of America as Larrikin. Jonah was adapted for a television series by the Australian Broadcasting Commission in 1982; it also provided the basis for the Sydney Theatre Company musical, Jonah Jones, in 1985.