United Kingdom - page 1 - the iconic authors

Alexander Pope

1688 - 1744

English poet and satirist, Alexander Pope is one of the most epigrammatic of all English authors. He is also famous for using the heroic couplet.

The Romantic movement has an ambivalent position towards his work: even though Byron admitted he was one of his main influences, Wordsworth thought his style was basically too decadent to be a faithful representation of the human condition.

Alfred Lord Tennyson

1809 - 1892

The English poet Alfred Lord Tennyson was named Poet Laureate of Great Britain and Ireland during the largest part of Queen Victoria’s reign. He is, indeed, often regarded as the main figure of the Victorian age in poetry. He remains, nowadays, one of the most popular British poets.

His poetry is said to be remarkable for its metrical variety, its rich descriptive imagery and its exquisite ... [+]

Arthur Conan Doyle

1859 - 1930

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was a Scottish writer best known for his crime fictions and his creation of the detective Sherlock Holmes. He was a prolific author who wrote 4 novels and over 50 short stories featuring his famous detective. He is generally considered as a master in the field of detective fiction. He also wrote fantasy and science fiction stories, poetry, plays, non fiction, …

Arthur Quiller-Couch

1863 - 1944

Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch was a Cornish writer who published many novels but is most well known for his monumental publication, The Oxford Book of English Verse 1250-1900. He was also celebrated for his literary criticism, influencing many writers around the world.

Beatrix Potter

1866 - 1943

Beatrix Potter was an English writer and illustrator, most famous for her stories featuring animals, notably The Tale of Peter Rabbit, which she published in her thirties and saw much success. Raised in an upper-class family by governesses, Potter was often isolated from other children, so she held great love for her many pets and the nature around her.

Charles Dickens

1812 - 1870

Charles Dickens, regarded nowadays as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era, was an English writer and social critic. During his lifetime, he fought for children’s rights, education and other social reforms in England. He is mainly famous for his style, which is based on humour, satire, and on a precise observation of characters and society. He is also known for his massive production ... [+]

Christina Rossetti

1830 - 1894

Christina Rossetti is currently known as one of the most important English women poets in both range and quality. She is recognised for her works on fantasy, romantic, religious and children’s poetry. Two main themes recur throughout her poetry: transcience of material things and the resigned but passionate sadness of unhappy love.

Christopher Marlowe

1564 - 1593

Christopher Marlowe was an English playwright, poet and translator. He greatly influenced Shakespeare on theatrical issues and was his most important predecessor in English drama. Marlowe’s plays are known for their specific style: as a matter of fact, he is especially known for establishing the dramatic blank verse and for his overreaching protagonists.

D. H. Lawrence

1885 - 1930

D. H. Lawrence was an English novelist, poet, playwright, essayist, literary critic and painter. His whole work is based on an analysis of the dehumanizing effects of modernity and industrialization.

His opinions earned him many enemies and he endured official persecution, censorship and misrepresentation of his creative work throughout the second half of his life.

Edward Lear

1812 - 1888

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

1806 - 1861

Elizabeth Barrett Browning was one of the most famous English poets of the Victorian era. Her works had a major influence on some other important writers of the day, such as Edgar Allan Poe or Emily Dickinson. More than a poet, she was also greatly involved in social and political issues: she campaigned against slavery and her works helped improve the children’s labour legislation.

Emily Brontë

1818 - 1848

The English novelist and poet, Emily Brontë produced but one novel, Wuthering Heights, now considered a classic of English Literature. This work of art, published under the pen name Ellis Bell, is a highly imaginative novel about passion and hate. We don’t know much about her life because she was the most reserved of the 3 Brontë sisters. Furthermore, she left no interesting correspondance.