Leigh Hunt

Born James Henry Leigh Hunt in 1784, he became one of the best-known literary journalists and essayists of early 19th-century England. He wrote poetry, criticism, and familiar essays, but he was also an important editor whose work helped shape the literary culture around him.

With his brother John, he co-founded The Examiner, a paper known for its liberal politics and lively style. Hunt was even imprisoned for libel after attacking the Prince Regent, a moment that only increased his reputation as an independent and fearless man of letters.

He is closely linked with the Romantic circle and was a friend and supporter of John Keats and Percy Bysshe Shelley, while also working with Lord Byron. Today he is remembered not just for his own poems and essays, but for the warmth, wit, and generosity that made him such a central figure in the literary world of his time.