E.C. Bentley

E. C. Bentley was an English novelist, humorist, and journalist best known for inventing the clerihew, a whimsical form of biographical verse. His first poetry collection, "Biography for Beginners" (1905), popularized the form, followed by "More Biography" (1929) and "Baseless Biography" (1939). Bentley also gained acclaim for his detective novel "Trent's Last Case" (1913), praised for its intricate plotting and considered a landmark in modern mystery fiction. The novel spawned a sequel, "Trent's Own Case" (1936), and a collection of short stories, "Trent Intervenes."

Born in London and educated at St Paul's School and Oxford, Bentley worked as a journalist for publications like the "Daily Telegraph" and "The Outlook". His writing blended wit and innovation, whether in his lighthearted clerihews or his groundbreaking detective fiction. Bentley served as president of the Detection Club from 1936 to 1949 and contributed to collaborative crime stories such as "The Scoop" and "Behind the Screen." He died in London in 1956, leaving a legacy as both a literary humorist and a pioneer of the mystery genre.