George Borrow

Born in East Dereham, Norfolk, on July 5, 1803, George Borrow grew up moving around the British Isles because his father was a recruiting officer in the army. That restless early life helped shape the independence and love of the road that run through much of his writing.

Borrow became known as a remarkable linguist and traveler. He worked for the British and Foreign Bible Society and spent years traveling in Spain, experiences he later transformed into The Bible in Spain (1843), the book that made his name. He also wrote The Zincali; or, An Account of the Gypsies of Spain and the much-loved semi-autobiographical books Lavengro (1851) and The Romany Rye (1857), drawing on his interest in languages and his close contact with Romani communities.

Readers have long been drawn to Borrow for his strong personality, eye for place, and taste for unconventional lives. He died on July 26, 1881, but his work still stands out for its mixture of travel, memoir, storytelling, and curiosity about people living beyond the social mainstream.