Mary S. Lovell. Acclaimed biographer of; Beryl Markham, Amelia Earhart, Jane Digby, Sir Richard Burton, Betty "Cynthia" Pack, and the Mitford Girl is now writing about Bess of Hardwick

<body> <p>   <font size="3">Her interest in aviation began in the late 'fifties and over the next decade she and her first husband, Cliff Lovell, established and flew a collection of rare vintage aircraft. It was through one of these airplanes, a De Havilland Gypsy Moth used in the film <i>Out of Africa</i>, that she first heard of the famous aviatrix, Beryl Markham. After a subsequent meeting Mary decided to write Beryl's biography and this book, <i>Straight on Till Morning</i>, researched and written in under a year, became an immediate international bestseller. Mary decided to retire from accountancy at this point to write full time.</font></p> <p>   <font size="3">Most of the books written since then have made the non-fiction best-seller lists and she is now at work on her 7th major biography. Four of her books are optioned for films. Her latest book, <i>The Mitford Girls</i>, a biography of the celebrated Mitford sisters was published in September 2002. The first paperback edition is due out in August 2003.</font></p> <p>   <font size="3">Regarded internationally as one of the leading biographers of the present day, Mary S. Lovell is particularly noted for her intensive research methods. All of her non-fiction books are extensively annotated. She feels strongly that 'biography is history' and deplores biographies where contentious statements are made about a subject without any verifiable attribution. She also dislikes the increasing trend for biographies which set out to destroy reputations. She regards herself as "a storyteller, rather than a literary writer. Everybody enjoys a good fast-paced story and that is what I try to write, only my stories are fact, not fiction. For me there is always an add<img src="marylovell/marylovell3.jpg" width="149" height="216" border="0" align="left" vspace="6" hspace="8">ed frisson of enjoyment when I know that what I'm reading about actually occurred, and is not simply a figment of someone's imagination."</font></p> <p>   <font size="3">During 2002 and 2003, in addition to a hectic schedule of lecturing at literary festivals and other events in the UK and overseas, she will be researching a biography of the famous Elizabethan entrepreneur, Bess of Hardwick. Deadline for this book is November 2003.</font></p> <p>   <font size="3">Among her favourite pastimes (in addition to aviation) she lists sailing, all equestrian sports, travel - especially in the deserts of the Middle East, and books. She lives in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England.<br> </font></p> </body>