Birrell, Augustine, 1850-1933

Augustine Birrell (1850–1933) was an English writer and man of letters; public information on the details of his life is limited. Five of his works are held here, chiefly essays and critical papers, together with a literary biography. The essay collections Obiter Dicta and its Second Series represent his achievement in the familiar essay, written with ease and wide reference, offering insight in a conversational manner. In the Name of the Bodleian, and Other Essays centres on libraries and books and conveys a booklover's pleasure, while Res Judicatæ: Papers and Essays gathers further papers and essays. He also wrote Andrew Marvell, a study of the seventeenth-century poet. His polished, bookish style will appeal to readers fond of the English essay tradition. This note is based on the information available here and on well-established public knowledge.