Daniel Defoe Biography

Daniel Defoe was a prolific English writer, journalist, and pamphleteer of the 18th century, best known for his novel Robinson Crusoe, one of the earliest examples of the modern novel. 

Defoe’s life was an entrepreneur, political activist, and all-around adventurer whose business and political activity brought him into contact with the varied cultures and environments that informed his writing. 

Defoe’s literary career began in his late thirties. He started writing political pamphlets and essays that made him known as a staunch supporter of religious and political dissent.

His pamphlets often landed him in trouble with the authorities, leading to periods of jail and money troubles (in 1702 he was pilloried and imprisoned in Newgate).

In 1719, at the age of 59, Defoe published his most famous work, Robinson Crusoe, the story of a castaway on an island (based on the true story of Alexander Selkirk).

The novel’s realistic portrayal of the human psyche and its scenes of loyalty and resourcefulness made the novel an instant success. 

Defoe followed up the success of Robinson Crusoe with other notable works, including Moll Flanders (1722) and Roxana (1724), both of which explored themes of morality, society, and the struggle for survival in the face of adversity.