Biographies of Literary Scholars

Raymond Williams was a Welsh Marxist literary critic and sociologist who is known for his work on the relationship between literature and society, particularly in his book "Culture and Society".

Harold Bloom was an American literary critic and professor who is considered to be one of the most influential literary critics of the 20th century. He is known for his work on the Western canon and his theory of the anxiety of influence.

Jacques Derrida was a French philosopher and literary critic who is known for his work on deconstruction, a critical approach that examines the ways in which language and texts construct meaning.

Samuel Johnson is considered to be the father of modern literary criticism. His work, particularly his "Lives of the Poets," helped to establish the idea of literature as a serious and worthy subject of study.

Elaine Showalter is an American literary critic and feminist scholar who is known for her work on feminist literary criticism. She is the author of several books, including "A Literature of Their Own: British Women Novelists from Brontë to Lessing".

Matthew Arnold is considered to be one of the most important literary scholars of the 19th century. His work, particularly his essays on culture and criticism, helped to shape the development of modern literary criticism.

Edward Said was a Palestinian-American literary critic and theorist who is known for his work on postcolonial literature. His book "Orientalism" is considered to be a seminal work in the field of postcolonial studies.

T.S. Eliot is considered to be one of the most important literary scholars of the 20th century. His work, particularly his essays on poetry and criticism, helped to shape the development of modern literary criticism.

Ian Watt is a Scottish literary critic and historian who is known for his work on the history of the novel. His book "The Rise of the Novel" is considered to be a seminal work in the field of novel studies.

Samuel Johnson is considered to be one of the most important literary scholars of the 18th century. His work, particularly his "Dictionary of the English Language," helped to standardize the English language and establish its literary norms.

Stanley Fish is an American literary critic and theorist who is known for his work on the relationship between literature and philosophy. He is the author of several books, including "Is There a Text in This Class?" and "The Trouble with Principle."

John Dryden is considered to be one of the most important literary scholars of the 17th century. His work, particularly his essays on poetry and drama, helped to shape the development of English literary criticism.

René Wellek was a Czech-American literary critic and theorist who is known for his work on the history of literary theory. His book "Theory of Literature" is considered to be a seminal work in the field of literary theory.

Sir Philip Sidney is considered to be one of the most important literary scholars of the 16th century. His work, particularly his "Defence of Poesy," helped to establish the idea of literature as a serious and worthy subject of study.