Myers, L(eopold) H(amilton) (1881–1944)

English novelist. His first novel, The Orissers 1922, was a critical success, and established him as a writer of major importance. His chief work was a tetralogy set in India in the late 16th century, revealing his interests in psychology and Eastern philosophy and religion: The Near and the Far 1929, Prince Jali 1931, The Root and the Flower 1935, and The Pool of Vishnu 1940.

The Root and the Flower, perhaps his finest work, has been compared to that of D H Lawrence, although Myers lacked Lawrence's skill in combining philosophy with narrative. His last novel, The Pool of Vishnu, is marked by a tone of bitter despair, foreshadowing his suicide.

He was born in Cambridge and educated at Eton and Cambridge. Of independent means, he followed no profession.