Percy Fitzgerald

Born in County Louth, Ireland, Percy Hetherington Fitzgerald became one of those remarkably versatile 19th-century figures who seemed able to do almost everything. He studied at Trinity College Dublin, was called to the bar, and worked for a time as a crown prosecutor before turning fully toward literary life in London.

As a writer, he produced a huge range of work: novels, essays, literary criticism, biographies, histories, and memoirs. He is especially remembered for books on literary and theatrical subjects, including studies of Charles Lamb and David Garrick, and for his long connection with the world around Charles Dickens. Beyond writing, he was also active as a painter and sculptor.

What makes Fitzgerald interesting today is the breadth of his curiosity. He wrote with the busy, observant spirit of the Victorian age, and his books often carry the feeling of someone who knew the cultural life of his time from the inside.