Born in 1878 in New South Wales, John O’Brien was the pen name for writer and poet Patrick Joseph Hartigan who spent most of his life working for the Catholic faith both as a priest and a school inspector. His father was a merchant and both his parents came originally from Irish stock and for […]

Born in Salem in Massachusetts, poet and writer Jones Very was born into a free thinking family and because of his sea faring father had a life time love of the ocean. His father used to take Very on sea trips, first to Russia and then New Orleans but unfortunately he died on one of […]

Born in 1860 in Wisconsin, Hamlin Garland was a prolific writer and was most well-known for the popular tales he told about farming communities in the State as well as his later collection of biographical memoirs. During his youth he traveled around with his family and stayed on numerous farms before moving out on his […]

Born in Puerta de Golpe, Cuba, in 1932, poet and writer Heberto Padilla is perhaps closely associated with the Cuban revolution and the lack of tolerance towards writers, artists and intellectuals under the rule of Fidel Castro. For that reason more than any, Padilla has long been linked with controversy in the country, particularly when […]

Novel writer and poet Jean Ingelow was born in 1820 in Lincolnshire, the daughter of a local banker, her mother originally from Scotland. Brought up initially in Boston, the family moved during her childhood to Ipswich before finally settling in London where Ingelow would spend most of the rest of her life. Whilst she could […]