author
Francis Hackett
1883–1962
An Irish-born writer who made his name in America, he brought sharp intelligence and strong opinions to literary criticism, fiction, and biography. He is especially remembered for his widely read life of Henry VIII and for the lively, independent spirit behind his writing.
1 Audiobook
The Invisible Censor
by Francis Hackett
About the author
Born in Kilkenny, Ireland, on January 21, 1883, Francis Hackett became a journalist, critic, novelist, and biographer whose career stretched across both Ireland and the United States. After emigrating to America as a young man, he worked in journalism and became known for thoughtful, outspoken literary criticism.
Hackett wrote in several forms, including novels, memoir, history, and biography. He is often best remembered for Henry the Eighth, a substantial and well-known biography that helped bring Tudor history to a broad readership. His work was shaped by a strong interest in politics, culture, and public life, and he built a reputation as a serious but readable writer.
He was married to the Danish writer Signe Toksvig, and together they wrote The Life of Lincoln. Hackett died on April 25, 1962, but his books still reflect the wide-ranging curiosity that made him such a distinctive literary figure.