Sir Max Beerbohm

Born in London on August 24, 1872, he became one of the most distinctive literary voices of the late Victorian and Edwardian years. Educated at Charterhouse and Merton College, Oxford, he first attracted attention in the 1890s as a humorist and dandy, contributing to The Yellow Book and building a reputation for polished, mischievous prose.

He went on to work as drama critic for The Saturday Review, succeeding George Bernard Shaw, and became celebrated for both his essays and his caricatures. Readers especially remember him for his parodies, which gently mocked literary styles without losing their affection for the writers behind them.

Later in life he settled in Rapallo, Italy, where he lived for many years. Knighted in 1939, he is still admired as a writer who combined style, intelligence, and amusement in a way that feels effortlessly graceful.