William Caxton

Before he became famous for printing, William Caxton worked as a merchant and spent many years in Bruges, where he moved in courtly and diplomatic circles. During this period he also began translating French works into English, which led him toward the world of books and publishing.

Caxton is widely regarded as the first person to introduce a printing press into England, setting up his press at Westminster in 1476. As a printer, publisher, translator, and writer, he produced important early editions of English works, including Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, and helped bring both continental and English texts to a broader reading public.

He was not only a printer but also an active shaper of literary culture. By choosing which works to translate and print, Caxton influenced what people could read in English at a time when the language itself was still taking printed form. He died around 1491, but his role in the history of English books remains foundational.