author
John Nichol
1833–1894
A lively Scottish man of letters, he helped establish English literature as a university subject in Britain and became known for writing about major literary figures with energy and conviction. His work moved between criticism, biography, poetry, and drama, giving him a distinctive place in 19th-century literary culture.
2 Audiobooks
Thomas Carlyle
by John Nichol
Byron
by John Nichol
About the author
Born in Montrose on September 8, 1833, and raised in Glasgow, John Nichol was the son of the astronomer John Pringle Nichol. He studied at the University of Glasgow and then at Balliol College, Oxford, where he took a first-class degree in classics before staying on for a time as a coach.
In 1862 he became the first Regius Professor of English Language and Literature at the University of Glasgow, a post he held until 1889. At a time when English was still finding its footing as an academic discipline, he helped shape how literature was taught and discussed, and he was remembered as an influential, spirited teacher.
Nichol also wrote widely for general readers. He published biographies of writers including Robert Burns, Lord Byron, and Thomas Carlyle, and he wrote poetry and the drama Hannibal. He died in London on October 11, 1894, leaving behind a reputation as a passionate critic, scholar, and advocate for literature.