author
Octave Delepierre
1802–1879
A Belgian man of letters who moved easily between archives, diplomacy, and literary curiosity, he became especially known for exploring odd corners of language and bibliography. His work has a scholarly cast, but it is driven by clear enthusiasm for old stories, rare books, and unusual literary traditions.
3 Audiobooks
Supercheries littéraires : pastiches, suppositions d'auteurs dans les lettres et dans les arts
by Octave Delepierre
Historical difficulties and contested events
by Octave Delepierre
Histoire littéraire des Fous
by Octave Delepierre
About the author
Born in Bruges in 1802, Octave Delepierre trained in law at the University of Ghent, but his career soon widened far beyond legal work. He served as an archivist in Bruges and built a reputation as a writer and antiquary with a strong interest in Flemish history, legends, and early literature.
Later he moved to London as a Belgian diplomatic representative, serving as secretary of legation and consul-general. Life in Britain brought him into lively literary and scholarly circles, and he continued publishing studies that ranged from local history to bibliography and curious byways of European writing.
He is especially remembered for his fascination with macaronic literature and for the breadth of his bookish interests. Delepierre died in London in 1879, leaving behind the picture of a deeply learned but energetic nineteenth-century scholar who loved rescuing strange, neglected, and entertaining material from the past.