author
John Hawkesworth
1714–1773
A self-educated London writer who rose from modest beginnings, he became known for lively essays, editing, and one of the most influential published accounts of early Pacific exploration. His career linked the world of Samuel Johnson and The Adventurer with the age of Captain Cook.
1 Audiobook
Almoran and Hamet: An Oriental Tale
by John Hawkesworth
About the author
Born in London around 1715, John Hawkesworth was largely self-educated and built a literary career through sheer persistence. He worked as a journalist, essayist, dramatist, and editor, and became closely associated with Samuel Johnson, eventually helping continue the kind of periodical writing that shaped mid-18th-century literary culture.
He is especially remembered for co-editing The Adventurer, an important essay periodical, and for editing the works of Jonathan Swift. Later, he was chosen to prepare the published account of several British voyages in the Pacific, including Captain James Cook’s first voyage. That project brought him wide attention and tied his name to one of the great publishing events of the era.
Hawkesworth died in London in 1773. Today he is often seen as a versatile man of letters: not only a writer in his own right, but also an editor who helped present major works and discoveries to a broad reading public.