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Henry Mayhew (1812 – 1857) was a playright and journalist, and co-founder of ‘Punch’ magazine. He was a social reformer, and wrote a series of articles for ‘The Morning Chronicle’ on the plight of the poor on London’s streets. These were later collected into a book, ‘London’s Labour and London’s Poor’, a detailed and extensive account of life as it truly was on the streets of Dickens’ London.

Sir Thomas More’s ‘Utopia’ is a complex, innovative and penetrating contribution to political thought, culminating in the famous ’description’ of the Utopians, who live according to the principles of natural law, but are receptive to Christian teachings, who hold all possessions in common, and view gold as worthless.

Born in Norfolk, Thomas Paine (1737 – 1809) emigrated to the British colonies in America in 1774, in time to support and participate in the fight for American independence. Subseqently, he became involved in the French Revolution, and his book ‘The Rights of Man’ earned the respect of liberals throughout the world, international repute and the ire of the British Government. His popularity suffered a complete collapse with the publication of ‘The Age of Reason’, with its attack on Christianity, and religion in general, although, in time, the book could be seen to reflect the underlying trend in American thought in the eighteenth century, and ‘The Rights of Man’ to define many of the principles of both of the revolutions in whuch he participated.

The sub-title of the latest biography of Aleister Crowley (1875 – 1947), ‘Spiritual Revolutionary, Romantic Explorer, Occult Master – and Spy’, gives something of the flavour of his extraordinary life. Identifying himself with the ‘Great Wild Beast 666’, among his vast literary output was some fascinating short fiction which is gathered together in two Wordworth collections.

M(ontague) R(hodes) James (1862-1936), the son of a Kent curate, enjoyed a glittering academic career, and was acknowledged as a leading authority on medieval manuscripts and biblical apocrypha. By way of diversion, over a period of time he wrote thirty four of what are acknowledged to be the best ghost stories ever written. The passing of time does not lessen their popularity or their ability to chill, and our edition of ‘Collected Ghost Stories’ remains the best-selling book in the series.

Matthew Lewis (1775 – 1818) is an English writer remembered for his novel. ‘The Monk’. Although not totally original, having been influenced by the writings of Ann Radcliffe and Hugh Walpole, ‘The Monk’ has nevertheless maintained its place in the early examples of Gothic horror, shocking its readers, and causing Jane Austen to send it up in ‘Northanger Abbey’.

Although Ann Radcliffe (1764 – 1823) did not invent the Gothic novel, she was a major factor in its development and popularity, and her work was very influential on many later writers, including Jane Austen. Her two best-remembered books are ‘The Mysteries of Udolpho’ (1794) and ‘The Italian’ (1797).

Anna Sewell (1820 – 1878) had just one book published. Written while in ill health, she sold it to a local publisher for £40. Published five months before her death, ‘Black Beauty’ is the most popular animal story ever written, and the sixth best seller in the English language.

John Bunyan (1628-1688) was the writer of ‘The Pilgrim’s Progress’, that was at one stage the second most popular book after the the Bible.