William Clarke

William Clarke was a British writer born in 1800 and died on June 17, 1838. He is chiefly remembered as the author of The Boys' Own Book, along with Three Courses and a Dessert and other light, popular works. He also founded a humorous periodical called The Cigar and served for a time as editor of the Monthly Magazine.

Contemporary reference works describe his writing as widely enjoyed in its day, especially for its wit and accessible style. One of his earlier books, Every Night Book; or, Life after Dark (1827), shows his interest in London's amusements and social life, which fits well with his reputation for entertaining, observant writing.

In the last years of his life, Clarke turned much of his attention to a large work on natural history, though it does not seem to have been published. He died suddenly of an apoplectic fit while working in his garden at his house near Hampstead, leaving behind a small but memorable place in nineteenth-century popular literature.