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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).

There have been few books written of more significance than ‘The Origin of Species’ by Charles Darwin (1809 – 1882). Although some of the detail has superseded by subsequent scientific progress, the book remains central to current evolutionary theory.

‘The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire’ by Edward Gibbon (1737 – 1794) is a work that is instantly familiar to most ears, even to those who would never consider reading it. It comprises 71 chapters, approximately 1,500,000 words, and nearly 8,000 footnotes and covers a time span of close to 1,500 years. Still in use as a reliable record of the period, it has been described as ‘the greatest prose epic in the English tongue’.

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.

Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849 – 1924) was an English writer who spent much of her life in America. Her most popular book during her lifetime was ‘Little Lord Fauntleroy’, but she is better remembered now for ‘The Little Princess’ and particularly ‘The Secret Garden’.

John Meade Falkner (1858 – 1932) a teacher, tutor and successful industrialist. Notable among the relatively small number of books that he wrote was ‘Moonfleet’, a tale of smugglers that was a much-loved book for young readers for many years.