George Eric MacKay (1835-2 June 1898) was an English minor poet, now remembered as the sponging half-brother of Marie Corelli, the best-selling novelist.
It sold 35,000 copies; he repaid Corelli\'s efforts by implying he wrote her novels..
His first works appeared in periodicals in the early 1860s; he achieved some reputation in his time for Letters of a Violinist (1886).
As a poet he is described as "execrable", and reliant on Corelli\'s promotion of his works.
MacKay and Corelli, born Mary Mackay, were the children of Charles Mackay, by different mothers (Mary was illegitimate, with Charles marrying her mother subsequently).
George Eric MacKay (1835-2 June 1898) was an English minor poet, now remembered as the sponging half-brother of Marie Corelli, the best-selling novelist