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Georgette Heyer, historical novelist par excellence and one of the 20th century's most popular British writers, has been honoured with an English Heritage Blue Plaque.

Stephen Fry unveiled the Blue Plaque at Heyer's birthplace in Wimbledon recently. A fan of her novels since his school days, Fry described Heyer as "a fabulous, witty writer who captured the life and language of Regency England superbly". 

Georgette Heyer (1902-1974) is best known for her romance novels set in the 18th century and English Regency period. Key to their appeal are witty and entertaining plots, strong characters, credible dialogue and meticulous historical research, notably on the finer points of costume and language. Her description of the Battle of Waterloo in An Infamous Army (1937) was commended to recruits at Sandhurst for its vivid account of the battle. 

By the time of her death in 1974, Heyer had become a global publishing phenomenon, selling a million copies each year in Britain alone. Loved by four generations of readers and now embraced by a fifth, at her peak, she was writing a novel a year. Her best-sellers include Devil's Cub (1932), Friday's Child (1944), The Grand Sophy (1950) and Frederica (1965). Of her 56 published novels, 51 remain in print today.

"I ought to be shot for writing such nonsense," Heyer once remarked, "but it's unquestionably good escapist literature." As well as Stephen Fry, she includes among her admirers Cilla Black, AS Byatt, Germaine Greer and the Queen.

Stephen Fry said:

"I first discovered Georgette Heyer at school and was completely hooked. She is a fabulous, witty writer who captured the life and language of Regency England superbly. I am delighted to see her honoured with an English Heritage blue plaque."  

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