National Biographer’s Day
Read a biography on #NationalBiographer'sDay
National Biographer’s Day falls on 16 May and commemorates the anniversary of the first meeting of Samuel Johnson and his biographer, James Boswell, which took place on 16 May 1763 in London, England.
A biography is a written account of another person’s life.
Johnson was not only a famous poet, essayist, literary critic, editor and lexicographer, but also a biographer. According to him, the best biographers were those who ate, drank, and lived in social intercourse with those about whom they wrote. If that were true, his best biography would be An account of the Life of Mr Richard Savage, Son of Earl Rivers, which was published in 1744.
Applying the same rule, the Scottish-born James Boswell met his friend Samuel Johnson at a bookshop near Covent Garden to write Johnson’s life story. Nearly 30 years later, he published the Life of Johnson, which became one of the most celebrated English biographies.
To celebrate today, read a biography and use #NationalBiographer’sDay to post on social media.
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