Peter Ackroyd
- Born:
- 5 October 1949, London, England
- Nationality:
- British
- Profession(s):
- Novelist, Biographer, Historian, Literary Critic
Early Life and Education
- Educated at St Benedict's School, Ealing.
- Attended Clare College, Cambridge, where he studied English Literature and was a double First.
- Received a fellowship to Yale University.
Career and Major Achievements
- Began his literary career as a poet and critic.
- Served as a literary editor for The Spectator.
- Established himself as a prominent biographer, novelist, and historian of London.
- Known for his meticulous research and immersive style.
Notable Works
- Biographies:
- T. S. Eliot: A Life
- Dickens
- Shakespeare: The Biography
- Chaucer
- Blake
- Newton
- As well as, of course, London: The Biography, a comprehensive and celebrated work.
- Novels:
- The Great Fire of London
- Hawksmoor
- Dan Leno and the Limehouse Golem
- The Clerkenwell Tales
- Histories:
- Albion: The Origins of the English Imagination
- Foundation: The History of England from Its Earliest Beginnings to the Tudors
- Rebellion: The History of England from the Tudors to the Stuarts
Legacy and Impact
Peter Ackroyd is regarded as one of Britain's foremost literary figures, lauded for his insightful biographies, evocative novels, and comprehensive historical works, particularly his explorations of London's rich history and culture.