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 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.

Lucia is the uncrowned queen of 1920s provincial society, the Everest of social climbers and the most delicious of snobs. In the pastoral serenity of the village of Riseholme, Lucia and her unforgettable cronies face up to an Indian guru, spiritualism and a cultural usurper.

This welcome addition to the hugely popular Mapp and Lucia series finds Major Flint in need of a new servant, Miss Mapp in need of a summer tenant, and Quaint Irene in need of a pint of bitter. Romantic entanglements stir the still waters of Tilling society, cunning plots are laid, and unforeseen complications ensue. Who is doing what to whom with a bottle of sesame oil? What is the truth behind the great Tilling chocolate cake mystery? Why does Major Flint need a loaded elephant gun? Did Miss Mapp really poison the Padre? Are Diva Plaistow’s days as a single woman numbered? How will Mr Wyse measure up as a man of action? Or Susan as a marriage counsellor? Oh yes … and what really happened to Lucy? Double best-selling author Guy Fraser-Sampson, a life-long Mapp and Lucia fan, superbly captures the literary style of the original series, and offers us a new depth of understanding for many of Tilling’s best-loved characters.

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.

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.

In this delightful social comedy, the ever-ambitious Lucia moves to London to climb the social ladder after inheriting her late aunt's fortune. With her wit and unrelenting drive, she navigates high society, making new acquaintances while charming and baffling old friends from Riseholme. Through parties, gossip, and schemes, Lucia tries to maintain her status, yet faces humorous obstacles that test her charm and cunning. Benson crafts a sharp and witty exploration of class, ambition, and the absurdity of social pretensions.