Sir Thomas Malory

Sir Thomas Malory, who died in 1471, is generally identified as the English author or compiler of Le Morte d'Arthur, the great prose retelling of the Arthurian legends. Drawing on French and English sources, he brought together the stories of Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, and the Round Table in a form that became one of the foundation texts of English literature.

Much about Malory's life remains uncertain, and scholars have debated his exact identity for centuries. The man most often linked with the book is Sir Thomas Malory of Newbold Revel in Warwickshire, a knight and landowner whose record suggests a turbulent public life. That uncertainty has only added to his fascination: he stands at the edge of history and legend, much like King Arthur himself.

Malory appears to have completed his book around 1469 or 1470, and it was printed in 1485 by William Caxton, helping preserve it for future readers. Its influence has been enormous, shaping later Arthurian storytelling in literature, theater, and film, and keeping Malory's voice alive long after the world he knew had passed away.