Arthur Christopher Benson

Born in 1862, A. C. Benson was an English essayist, poet, and academic who studied at Eton and King's College, Cambridge. He later taught at Eton and went on to become Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge, a role he held until his death in 1925.

He is remembered most widely for writing the lyrics used in Edward Elgar's Coronation Ode, including the famous song "Land of Hope and Glory." Alongside that public success, he was a remarkably versatile writer who published essays, poetry, criticism, biographies, and ghost stories.

Benson is also notable for the diary he kept over many years, a vast personal record that has made him especially interesting to later readers. His books and journals reveal a thoughtful, observant voice—sometimes warm, sometimes troubled, often very candid about inner life, friendship, faith, and the routines of books and scholarship.