author
Richard Carlile
1790–1843
A fiery voice in early 19th-century Britain, he used print, prison, and public argument to push for freedom of the press and wider political rights. His life sits at the crossroads of radical journalism, freethought, and reform.
6 Audiobooks
A Letter to the Society for the Suppression of Vice, on Their Malignant Efforts to Prevent a Free Enquiry After Truth and Reason
by Richard Carlile
The Character of the Jew Books Being, a Defence of the Natural Innocence of Man, Against Kings and Priests or Tyrants and Impostors
by Richard Carlile
Life of Thomas Paine Written Purposely to Bind with His Writings
by Richard Carlile
The Character of a Priest
by Richard Carlile
About the author
Born in Ashburton, Devon, in 1790, Richard Carlile became one of the best-known radical publishers of his day. After working as a tinman, he moved into political journalism and publishing, where he championed universal suffrage, free discussion, and the liberty of the press.
Carlile is especially remembered for publishing the works of Thomas Paine and other banned or controversial material at a time when the British government prosecuted radical printers aggressively. He was repeatedly tried and imprisoned, but his prosecutions only made him more visible, and his career became closely tied to the wider struggle over what could be printed, sold, and debated in public.
He also became an important figure in the history of freethought, arguing openly against religious authority as well as political repression. He died in London in 1843, but his reputation endures as that of a stubborn, combative reformer who treated publishing as a form of activism.