Matthew Lewis

Master of the gothic tale, Matthew Gregory Lewis was born in 1775. At the age of 19 he published his novel 'The Monk' which held such luridly gothic imagery, it became an instant classic. Taking the influence of writers such as Ann Radcliffe to heart, he continued to write in the horror-gothic genre, but will always be remembered for testing the limits of the gothic novel in 'The Monk', a tale which was to inspire those who wrote after him.