author
Bonamy Dobrée
1891–1974
A lively and influential English literary scholar, he helped shape the study of Restoration and eighteenth-century writing and became a central figure in the cultural life of the University of Leeds.
1 Audiobook
Timotheus : or, The future of the theatre
by Bonamy Dobrée
About the author
Born in 1891, he came from a Channel Islands banking family and was educated for an army career before turning seriously to literature after the First World War. He later studied English at Christ’s College, Cambridge, building the foundation for the scholarship and criticism that would make his name.
He taught in London and in Cairo, then served as Professor of English Literature at the University of Leeds from 1936 to 1955. Accounts from Leeds describe him as an inspiring presence who had a lasting effect on the university’s cultural life, especially through the strong School of English he helped create.
Best known as a scholar and critic of Restoration and eighteenth-century literature, he also wrote in a way that aimed to keep literary history readable and alive for general audiences. He died in 1974, remembered both for his academic work and for the influence he had on students, writers, and colleagues.