author
Edward Garnett
1868–1937
A quiet but powerful force in literary life, he helped shape the careers of major writers while also building a body of work as a critic, editor, and author. Best remembered for his sharp eye and generous encouragement, he played an important part in early 20th-century English literature.
2 Audiobooks
Leo Tolstoy
by G. K. (Gilbert Keith) Chesterton, Edward Garnett, G. H. (George Herbert) Perris
Turgenev: A Study
by Edward Garnett
About the author
Born in London in 1868, Edward Garnett was an English writer, critic, and literary editor. He became especially known as a publisher's reader and adviser with an unusual gift for spotting talent, and sources consistently describe him as an influential figure behind the scenes in modern literature.
He is often remembered for supporting and encouraging writers who later became famous, including Joseph Conrad and D. H. Lawrence, and for helping Sons and Lovers reach publication. Reference sources also note his family connections to literary life: he was the son of writer and librarian Richard Garnett, the husband of translator Constance Garnett, and the father of novelist David Garnett.
Although his reputation rests largely on his editorial judgment and criticism, he also wrote fiction, essays, and literary studies of his own. He died in 1937, but his place in literary history endures because he helped many important books and writers find their way into print.