author
William Winstanley
d. 1698
A lively 17th-century man of letters, he is remembered for gathering the lives of English poets and other notable figures into books that helped shape literary memory. Writing as both poet and biographer, he brought curiosity, gossip, and admiration together in a way that still feels surprisingly readable.
1 Audiobook
The Lives of the Most Famous English Poets (1687)
by William Winstanley
About the author
Born around 1628 in Quendon, Essex, William Winstanley became an English poet and compiler of biographies. He was associated with Saffron Walden and, according to biographical references, spent some time working as a barber in London before turning fully toward writing.
He is best known for books such as The Lives of the Most Famous English Poets and England's Worthies, works that collected short accounts of writers and notable historical figures. He also wrote under the name "Poor Robin," a pseudonym linked to popular almanacs and satirical writing.
Winstanley died in 1698. Though not among the most famous authors of his century today, he remains an important source for readers interested in early English literary history, biography, and the colorful world of Restoration-era print.