author
Aaron Hill
1685–1750
A restless, ambitious figure of early 18th-century London, this English writer moved between poetry, drama, journalism, and theater management with unusual energy. He is especially remembered for stage adaptations that helped bring Voltaire to English audiences and for his role in the premiere of Handel’s Rinaldo in London.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Born in London in 1685 and dying there in 1750, Aaron Hill was an English poet, dramatist, and essayist whose career ranged widely across the literary world. Reliable reference sources describe him as a versatile writer, and note that his adaptations of Voltaire’s Zaïre and Mérope were among his most successful theatrical works.
Hill was also active behind the scenes of the stage. While still a young man, he became manager of the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, where he staged the premiere of Handel’s Rinaldo, often described as the first Italian opera created for a London audience. That mix of literary ambition and theatrical practicality gives his career a lively, enterprising feel.
He also worked in periodical writing, founding the biweekly paper The Plain Dealer in 1724. Though he is not as widely read today as some of his contemporaries, he remains an interesting figure for listeners who enjoy the busy, experimental world of early 18th-century English literature.