Enoch Arnold Bennett was born on May 27, 1867, in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, to parents Enoch Bennett and Sarah Ann Longson. Although initially steered toward a legal career, he found his true vocation in writing. After moving to London, he became a journalist and later a full-time writer, producing novels, short stories, plays, and essays. Bennett's works often focused on the lives of ordinary people in industrial England, particularly in the area known as the Five Towns, which he depicted with vivid realism. His attention to the nuances of class, ambition, and provincial life gained him widespread popularity and critical attention. Some of his most notable works include The Old Wives Tale, Clayhanger, and The Card. Beyond fiction, he was also known for keeping a detailed daily journal and writing essays on self-improvement and literary craft. His experiences in Paris and London enriched his worldview, which he expressed through his cosmopolitan characters and practical philosophical outlook. Bennett s influence extended into public life, and during World War I he worked for the British Ministry of Information. He died in London on March 27, 1931, leaving behind a significant literary legacy and a deeply personal record of early 20th-century English society.
