Dolores Drielsma

The Hornsey Journal published quite a few paperbacks in its day. The company was owned by George Wiltshire during the 1920s and 1930s when they were prolific publishers of hundreds of cheap paperbacks. Hey had taken over the "My Pockets" Novels series from Edwin J. Brett and used it as a brand for decades, the "My Pocket" Novels series being succeeded  by the "My Pocket" 3d Novels (or 3d Library) in the 1920s. Hornsey also took over the publications of the long-running Federation Press (F.P.) Racing Novels series in 1928 and continued publishing it until around 1943.

The "My Pocket" series published about 1,700 titles – my checklist of them is far from complete, so there could be some fascinating authors lurking invisibly amongst their output. Certainly the list that I have been able to compile has some interesting names and an equal number of interesting-looking names, almost certainly pseudonyms.

A name I stumbled across recently was Dolores Drielsma, author of at least three novels for the company.  Such an odd surname had to be a fake, I thought. But, no. The false bit was the Christian name, as Dolores Drielsma was the nom-de-plume of Adele Drielsma, née Lindow.

Born in Berlin, Germany, on 25 December 1874, she was the daughter of Joseph (a diamond merchant) and Lina Lindow. She married John Jonas Drielsma (c1873-1937), a stiler and gold stick mounter, in 1895. They lived together in Princess May Road, Stoke Newington. She died at the Royal Hospital, Richmond, Surrey, on 30 November 1923, aged 50. (“of 5 Camborne Terrace, Richmond, Surrey). She left her effects to Maud Isabel Crofts (wife of John Cecil Crofts).

Of her writing career I know very little other than that in 1910 she co-wrote the one-act play Kia’s Luck. I would not be surprised to discover that she had strong theatre connections, perhaps also as an actress, hence the slight change in the form of her name she was known as.

PUBLICATIONS

Novels
Her Soul's Desire. Hornsey Journal [‘‘My Pocket’’ 3d Novels 48], 12 May 1925, 64pp, 3d.
Sinning for Love. Hornsey Journal [‘‘My Pocket’’ 3d Novels 166], 12 Jun 1928, 64pp, 3d.
A Young Wife’s Folly. Hornsey Journal [‘‘My Pocket’’ 3d Novels 181], 25 Sep 1928, 64pp, 3d.

Plays
Kia's Luck (1910)