Make Way For Lucia, also known as Mapp and Lucia, is a collective name for a series of novels by E. F. Benson about Emmeline "Lucia" Lucas and Elizabeth Mapp. The novels feature humorous incidents in the lives of (mainly) upper-middle-class British people in the 1920s and 1930s, vying for social prestige and one-upmanship in an atmosphere of extreme cultural snobbery. Several of them are set in the small seaside town of Tilling, closely based on Rye, East Sussex, where Benson lived for a number of years and served as mayor. Contents: Queen Lucia Miss Mapp Lucia in London Mapp and Lucia Lucia's Progress or The Worshipful Lucia Trouble for Lucia The Male Impersonator Desirable Residences Edward Frederic Benson (1867-1940) was an English novelist, biographer, memoirist, archaeologist and short story writer, known professionally as E.F. Benson. He started his novel writing career in 1893 with the fashionably controversial Dodo, which was an instant success, and followed it with a variety of satire and romantic and supernatural melodrama. He repeated the success of Dodo, with sequels to this novel, but the greatest success came relatively late in his career with The Mapp and Lucia series consisting of six novels and two short stories. Benson was also known as a writer of atmospheric, oblique, and at times humorous or satirical ghost stories.

'Miss Mapp' is the second novel from the 'Mapp and Lucia' series, following the life of a progressive woman who spends her days gossiping and scheming. One must tread carefully in society, or at least so Miss Mapp thinks. In a hilarious display of snobbish one-upmanship, Miss Mapp considers her every move and its possible outcome with the deftness and skill of a master chess player. God forbid she lose an ounce of social standing! But the village of Tilling becomes a battleground where romances and rumours have ensnared its inhabitants in a ruthless battle for domination. The idyllic setting, delicate daily routines and witty escapades make 'Miss Mapp' a compelling and intriguing read. It has been adapted into an ongoing TV miniseries called 'Mapp & Lucia' starring Miranda Richardson, Anna Chancellor, Poppy Miller and Felicity Montagu. Edward Frederic Benson (1867-1940) was a British archeologist and author, who wrote under the pen name E. F. Benson. Originally from Berkshire, he studied at Cambridge University and published his first novel 'Dodo' in 1893. It was an instant success. He was a prolific novelist, and wrote in a blend of satire, science-fiction, supernatural and romantic melodramas and has been admired by later authors such as H. P. Lovecraft. He was also a reputed memoirist, and wrote amongst others a biography of Charlotte Brontë. Benson was a very discreet character but it is widely assumed that he was homosexual, of which traces can be found in the circles he kept as well as in his fiction. He never married and passed away in 1940 at age 72.

Miss Mapp and Lucia return in the fifth instalment of E. F. Benson's classic series. Here we find Lucia battling here way to the top of the social ladder in the small village of Tilling, Miss Mapp here nemesis will not let that happen with out a very polite and gentile fight. This novel, originally published in 1935, is being republished here together with a new introductory biography of the author.

The final instalment in the wonderful Lucia series. Lucia must yet again lie, trick and deceive to maintain social position as the queen of Tilling. Lucia is probably the greatest creation of E. F. Benson, a social climbing socialite from the small village of Riseholme. A beautifully written and sharply observed comedy, exploring the social life of Edwardian high society This novel, originally published in 1939, is being republished here together with a new introductory biography of the author.

Outrageously pretentious, hypocritical and snobbish, Queen Lucia, 'as by right divine' rules over the toy kingdom of 'Riseholme' based on the Cotswold village of Broadway. Her long-suffering husband Pepino is 'her prince-consort', the outrageously camp Georgie is her 'gentleman-in-waiting', and the village green is her 'parliament'.

The arrival of the snobbish Mrs Emmeline Lucas (known as Lucia to her friends) in the small seaside town of Tilling causes waves as she threatens the queen bee of Tillingâe(tm)s social circle, Miss Elizabeth Mapp. Against a backdrop of genteel tea parties and bridge evenings, a series of hilarious conflicts ensues between the two power-hungry women as they battle on the social stage to gain the ultimate place as the first lady of Tilling society. This edition includes all three novels the brand new BBC adaptation is based on: Queen Lucia and Miss Mapp and Mapp and Lucia.