Izaak Walton

Born in Stafford in 1593, he built his early career in London as a linen draper before becoming one of the most beloved prose writers of the 1600s. His fame rests above all on The Compleat Angler (first published in 1653), a book that mixes practical fishing advice with conversation, songs, nature writing, and a deep enjoyment of ordinary life.

He was also a biographer with a gift for making learned and religious figures feel human and memorable. His lives of John Donne, George Herbert, Richard Hooker, and others were widely read, and they remain an important part of his legacy.

Walton lived through the English Civil War and the Restoration, and his writing often feels like a calm answer to unsettled times. He died in 1683, but his work still stands out for its gentleness, clear style, and affection for the countryside and for good company.