Daniel Defoe facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Daniel Defoe
Born	Daniel Foe 1659–1660 London, England
Died	24 April 1731 (aged 70) London, England
Resting place	Bunhill Fields
Occupation	Writer, journalist, merchant
Genre	Adventure
Spouse	Mary Tuffley

Daniel Defoe ( c. 1660 – 24 April 1731), born Daniel Foe, was an English trader, writer, journalist, pamphleteer and spy. He is most famous for his novel Robinson Crusoe, which is second only to the Bible in its number of translations. He has been seen as one of the earliest proponents of the English novel, and helped to popularise the form in Britain with others such as Aphra Behn and Samuel Richardson. Defoe wrote many political tracts and often was in trouble with the authorities, including a spell in prison. Intellectuals and political leaders paid attention to his fresh ideas and sometimes consulted with him.

Defoe was a prolific and versatile writer, producing more than three hundred works - books, pamphlets, and journals - on diverse topics, including politics, crime, religion, marriage, psychology, and the supernatural. He was also a pioneer of business journalism and economic journalism.

Images for kids

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  Daniel Defoe in the pillory, 1862 line engraving by James Charles Armytage after Eyre Crowe

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  Title page from Daniel Defoe's: The History of the Union of Great Britain dated 1709 and printed in Edinburgh by the Heirs of Anderson

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  Glasgow Bridge as Defoe might have seen it in the 18th century

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  Memorial to "Daniel De-Foe", Bunhill Fields, City Road, Borough of Islington, London

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  A house where Defoe once lived, near London, England

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  Bunhill Fields monument detail