William James Herbert Hayens (1861 – January 22, 1944) was an English novelist and editor. He was well known for his juvenile fiction and books written for schools.
Biography
Hayens was born in 1861 and lived most of his life in Glasgow, Scotland. In 1933, he married Jeanie Douglas. He worked at Collins & Co. as chief editor. He edited anthologies and was an author of many books written for boys and young adults. Several of his books focused on themes of war and adventure and was compared in style to George Alfred Henty. One reviewer said that Hayens chose settings in out-of-the-way places. His book, A Vanished Nation is an account of the Paraguayan War; A Captain of the Irregulars chronicled the war between Chile and Peru; and Red, White and Green told a story about the Hungarian Revolution of 1848. However, the reviewer criticised Hayens for paying more attention to the subject matter which detracted from the literary cohesion of his novels.
He was once described as, "...of Devonshire seafaring stock, and with his blue eyes, flowing moustache and greying hair looked more like an old-time Devonshire sea captain than an editor".
