William Morris, Drawing for block-printed fabric Tulip and Willow, 1873, Public Domain vis Wikimedia Commons.
William Morris, the British artist and writer, was born in east London on March 24th, 1834 to William Morris and Emma Morris Shelton. Morris is best known for his highly influential textile designs and association with the Pre-Rapahelite Brotherhood, but few are aware of his influence as a poet, writer and translator of ancient and medieval texts. His “prose fictions,” such as The Well at the World’s End (1896), are considered the first fantasy fictions and profoundly influenced future authors including J. R. R. Tolkien.
William Morris died on October 3rd, 1896 in London.
