Daniel Defoe
Sign in to saveEnglish trader, writer, and journalist (1660–1731)
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Daniel Defoe was an English writer, journalist, and trader who lived from 1660 to 1731 and became known for his work in literature and news writing during a transformative period in English publishing. He matters because he was a pioneering figure in developing the novel as a literary form and in establishing journalism as a profession in England.
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Person · Open Library
- Born
- 1661?
- Died
- 24 April 1731
- Works
- 3078
Top works
- A letter to the dissenters
- Der kleine Robinson, oder Begebenheiten des Robinson Crusoe
- The life and most surprising adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, mariner
- Original right : or, The reasonableness of appeals to the people
- The Spanish descent
via Open Library + Wikidata
Listeners · Last.fm
- Listeners
- 2,396
- Total plays
- 62,421
Tags
Article
Daniel Defoe (/dɪˈfoʊ/ c. 1660 – 24 April 1731) was an English writer, journalist, merchant and spy. He is famous for his novels Robinson Crusoe (1719), Moll Flanders (1722) and Roxana: The Fortunate Mistress (1724). He has been seen as one of the earliest proponents of the English novel, and helped to popularise the form in Britain with others such as Aphra Behn and Samuel Richardson.
Before the end of 1719, Robinson Crusoe had already run through four editions, and it has gone on to become one of the most widely published books in history, spawning so many imitations that its name is used to define a genre, the Robinsonade. Defoe also wrote many political tracts, was often in trouble with the authorities, and spent a period in prison. Intellectuals and political leaders paid attention to his fresh ideas and sometimes consulted him.