George Walker (novelist) facts for kids
George Walker (born December 24, 1772 – died February 8, 1847) was an English writer and publisher. He was known for writing exciting and often spooky stories called gothic novels.
George Walker's Life
George Walker was born in London, England, in an area called Falcon Square in Cripplegate. He worked as a bookseller, selling books, and also as a music publisher, helping to print and sell music. His son, George, later joined him in the family business.
George Walker's writings often shared ideas that were against big changes in society. He wrote in response to other writers like William Godwin and Thomas Holcroft, who had different views about how society should be organized.
He passed away on February 8, 1847, and was buried in Highgate Cemetery in London.
About The Vagabond (1799)
One of George Walker's most famous books was a novel called The Vagabond, published in 1799. This story was written to challenge some of the popular political ideas of the time.
The novel tells the story of a character who accidentally becomes involved in the Gordon Riots of 1780. These riots were a series of violent protests in London. Walker's book showed these riots as very destructive and focused on people taking things, rather than being about important political changes.
Later in the story, the main character's mentor, a wise guide named Stupeo, tries to create a perfect community in the American wilderness. This community was meant to be a place where everyone was equal and lived together peacefully. However, their plan faced serious trouble and didn't succeed due to conflict with Native Americans.
In the book's introduction, Walker explained that he wrote The Vagabond to "parry the Enemy with their own weapons." This meant he wanted to use storytelling to argue against the political ideas he disagreed with. A literary expert named Ian Haywood said that The Vagabond shows how much people still remembered the Gordon Riots when the book came out.
George Walker's Books
George Walker wrote many books during his life. Here are some of them:
- The Romance of the Cavern, 1792
- The Haunted Castle, 1794
- The House of Tinian, 1795
- Theodore Cyphon, or The Benevolent Jew, 1796
- Cynthelia, or a Woman of Ten Thousand, 1797
- The Vagabond, 1799
- The Three Spaniards, 1800
- Poems on Various Subjects, 1801
- Don Raphael, 1803
- Two Girls of Eighteen, 1806
- The Travels of Sylvester Tramper in Africa, 1813
- The Adventures of Timothy Thoughtless, 1813 (This book was written especially for children!)
- The Battle of Waterloo, A Poem, 1815
