Percy Lubbock (1879–1965) was an English man of letters who made significant contributions to literary criticism, biography, and the essay form during the early twentieth century. Born in England, he was educated at Eton and King's College, Cambridge. Over his career, he developed a reputation as a sensitive stylist and a perceptive analyst of narrative technique, closely aligning himself with the literary circle of Henry James, whose letters he later edited.\n\nLubbock is most widely remembered for his seminal 1921 work, The Craft of Fiction. In this highly influential book, he formalized and expanded upon Henry James's theories of narrative perspective, popularizing the distinction between "showing" (scenic presentation) and "telling" (narrative exposition). The book became a cornerstone of twentieth-century Anglo-American literary criticism, shaping how generations of writers and academics approached the structure and point of view of the novel.\n\nIn addition to his critical theory, Lubbock was an accomplished biographer and memoirist. His notable works include Earlham (1922), a nostalgic memoir of his childhood summers at his maternal grandparents' home in Norfolk, which won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize. He also wrote biographies of figures such as Edith Wharton and Mary Cholmondeley, showcasing his talent for capturing the nuances of character and social milieu.
