Born in Volhynia in the Ukraine in 1873, Hayyim Nahman Bailik grew up to become one of the leading forces in Hebrew poetry. His father was a shrewd businessman and academic but died early on when Bailik was just seven years old. Being orphaned at such a young age left its mark on the poet and the misery he felt ...
Born in Ghazni in the south of Afghanistan sometime during the eleventh century, Sanai is considered one of the most influential early mystics from the Persian region and author of The Walled Garden of Truth. Despite his strong influence not much is known about his life and much is gleaned from his poetry which is often autobiographical. His name is generally ...
Born around 1554 in the small village of Chandrahar in India, Habba Khatoon is remembered as one of the great mystic poets of her era and was called Zooni (translated as the moon) because of her great beauty. She is considered one of the great influences on Kashmiri culture and her songs and poetry are still popular within the region today. Unlike ...
The 19th century Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen was primarily an author of fairy tales and short stories for children, but he was also a renowned poet. He was feted in his own country and throughout Scandinavia. Once he had travelled further afield his fame and popularity grew even more and his name is now synonymous with children’s stories across every continent ...
Helen Maria Williams was a colourful character born in the 18th century who managed to stir up trouble for herself at almost every turn. Her considerable output of poetry and prose was often of a highly political nature, criticising the French government of Napoleon, supporting the revolutionaries during France’s Reign of Terror or making outspoken statements on the abolition of the slave ...
