author
R. H. (Richard H.) Horne
1802–1884
A restless Victorian man of letters, he wrote poetry, fiction, criticism, and history, and is best remembered for the ambitious poem Orion. His life was as adventurous as his writing, taking him from England to Australia by way of a remarkably varied literary career.
1 Audiobook
Memoirs of a London doll
by R. H. (Richard H.) Horne
About the author
Born in 1802, Richard Henry Horne—who also used the middle name Hengist—was an English poet, critic, and novelist. He is best known for Orion, the epic poem that made his name, but his work ranged widely across poetry, drama, fiction, journalism, and literary criticism.
Horne led an unusually varied life before and during his writing career. Accounts of his early years note military training and a period of travel and adventure before he settled into London literary life. He moved among major Victorian writers and editors, contributed to important periodicals, and built a reputation as an energetic, independent-minded figure in nineteenth-century literature.
Later in life he spent significant time in Australia, where he continued to write and remained a notable cultural presence. He died in 1884, leaving behind a body of work that reflects both literary ambition and a taste for the unconventional.