author
John Galt
1779–1839
A sharp-eyed Scottish storyteller, he brought everyday community life and the social changes of his era into fiction in a way that still feels fresh. Beyond writing, he also led ambitious business ventures, including work tied to early settlement in Canada.
7 Audiobooks
Ringan Gilhaize, or, The Covenanters
by John Galt
The Provost
by John Galt
The Life, Studies, and Works of Benjamin West, Esq. Composed from Materials Furnished by Himself
by John Galt
The Annals of the Parish Or, the Chronicle of Dalmailing During the Ministry of the Rev. Micah Balwhidder
by John Galt
The Entail; or, The Lairds of Grippy
by John Galt
The Ayrshire Legatees; Or, The Pringle Family
by John Galt
The Life of Lord Byron
by John Galt
About the author
Born in Irvine, Scotland, on May 2, 1779, he became a prolific novelist, entrepreneur, and social commentator. He is especially remembered for fiction rooted in Scottish life, including Annals of the Parish, The Provost, and The Entail, and has often been noted as an early novelist to tackle the effects of the Industrial Revolution.
His life was unusually wide-ranging. After moving to London, he traveled in the Mediterranean and met Lord Byron, later writing travel books, biographies, plays, and novels. He also played a major role in the Canada Company and is closely associated with the founding of Guelph in Upper Canada.
He died on April 11, 1839, in Greenock. Today he is remembered both for his lively, observant portraits of Scottish society and for a career that mixed literature, politics, business, and travel in uncommon ways.