author
Mark Lemon
1809–1870
A lively Victorian journalist and playwright, he helped shape British humor as the founding editor of Punch. His writing career ranged from comic journalism to plays and verse, giving him a wide influence on 19th-century literary life.
1 Audiobook
The Jest Book The Choicest Anecdotes and Sayings
by Mark Lemon
About the author
Born in London on November 30, 1809, Mark Lemon became one of the best-known literary journalists of Victorian Britain. He is best remembered as the founding editor of Punch, the satirical magazine launched in 1841, and he remained closely identified with its voice and success.
Lemon was more than an editor. He also wrote plays, verses, and other journalistic pieces, and he was involved with The Field as a founding editor as well. His career moved easily between the stage and the press, which helps explain the theatrical energy and humor that readers associated with his work.
He died on May 23, 1870, in Crawley, Sussex. Although his own name is less famous now than the magazine he helped build, his role in shaping Victorian comic writing and popular journalism remains an important part of his legacy.