author
James Fitzmaurice-Kelly
1858–1923
A gifted British critic and scholar, he helped open Spanish literature to English-speaking readers at the turn of the 20th century. His work on Cervantes and the wider Spanish canon made him an important early guide for generations of students and general readers.
3 Audiobooks
Fray Luis de León: A Biographical Fragment
by James Fitzmaurice-Kelly
A History of Spanish Literature
by James Fitzmaurice-Kelly
Chapters on Spanish Literature
by James Fitzmaurice-Kelly
About the author
Born in Glasgow in 1858, he became one of Britain’s best-known writers on Spanish literature. He was educated at St Charles's College in Kensington, developed an early love of Spanish, and later spent time in Jerez de la Frontera as a tutor before building his literary career.
He is especially remembered for books such as Life of Cervantes and A History of Spanish Literature, as well as for editing and translating major Spanish texts for English readers. His writing helped make authors from Spain feel more accessible and alive to audiences outside the Spanish-speaking world.
Later in life, he served as professor of Spanish literature at the University of Liverpool and was elected a Fellow of the British Academy. He died in 1923, leaving behind a body of work that played a lasting part in the study of Hispanic literature in Britain.