Elinor Glyn (née Sutherland; 1864-1943) was a British novelist and scriptwriter who specialised in romantic fiction, which was considered scandalous for its time, although her works are relatively tame by modern standards. She popularized the concept of the It-girl, and had tremendous influence on early 20th-century popular culture and, possibly, on the careers of notable Hollywood stars such as Rudolph Valentino, Gloria Swanson and, especially, Clara Bow. Glyn pioneered risqué, and sometimes erotic, romantic fiction aimed at a female readership, a radical idea for its time. She coined the use of It as a euphemism for sexuality, or sex appeal. She was a scriptwriter for the silent movie industry and had a brief career as one of the earliest female directors.
