Sir Walter Besant
(1836-1901), Novelist and campaigner for authors' rightsSitter in 6 portraits
Walter Besant was a novelist and campaigner for author's rights, whose best work describing social evils in London's East End helped set in motion movements to aid the poor. In 1871 Besant began a literary collaboration with James Rice, editor of Once a Week, which lasted until Rice's death in 1882; during that time they jointly produced nine popular novels. Besant's most famous novel was his first, All Sorts and Conditions of Men, based on his impressions of the East London slums. It was serialised in Belgravia in 1882 and published. He wrote a further thirty-one independent novels. Besant helped to found the Society of Authors in 1884 and edited its journal until his death.
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