Daniel Defoe

About Daniel Defoe

Daniel Defoe, born Daniel Foe, was an English trader, writer, journalist, and pamphleteer who lived from 1660 to 1731. Born in London, he originally trained for the ministry before entering business as a merchant, trading in various commodities. His commercial ventures often ended in financial failure, leading to bankruptcy and imprisonment for debt. Turning to writing, Defoe became a prolific journalist and political pamphleteer, producing hundreds of tracts, essays, and articles on economic, political, and religious matters. His satirical political writing led to his arrest in 1703, after which he worked as a government spy and intelligence agent. Today, Defoe is internationally known as one of the primary pioneers of the English novel. His famous debut novel, Robinson Crusoe, published in 1719, achieved massive success and remains a classic of world literature. He also wrote notable works such as Moll Flanders and A Journal of the Plague Year before his death in London in 1731.

Based on publicly available information.