The author traces his upbringing, seven years in Australia and the United States, and long visits to Canada and Japan, then concentrates on the two decades he spent at 32 Addison Mansions in London, offering personal reminiscences of prominent writers, actors, and artists encountered in literary clubs and salons between 1891 and 1911. Chapters mix biographical sketches and vivid anecdotes about social and professional life, reflections on how many authors drifted into writing from other occupations, contributions from fellow writers, and a selection of portraits, illustrations, and an index of the well-known figures discussed.