author
Wynkyn de Worde
d. 1534
A key figure in early English printing, this immigrant printer helped turn books into a wider commercial and cultural force. Working first with William Caxton and then on his own, he issued hundreds of editions that reached readers far beyond elite circles.
1 Audiobook
The Pain and Sorrow of Evil Marriage
by Wynkyn de Worde
About the author
Probably born in Alsace, Wynkyn de Worde came to England in the late 15th century and is closely linked with William Caxton, England’s first printer. After Caxton’s death, he took over the business and built it into one of the most important printing enterprises in Tudor London.
He is often credited with helping popularize printed books in England. Britannica notes that he published at least 600 titles, and he is also remembered as the first printer in England to use italic type. His output ranged from religious works to practical and literary books, showing a sharp sense of what readers would buy.
De Worde died in 1534. Although details of his personal life are limited, his place in book history is secure: he helped move printing in England from a pioneering craft into a thriving trade.