The Warden

His books are my lifelong love. He wrote 47 in total and I must have read them all; some twice. As I’m old and forgetful, I can just pick them up and start again and just know that they’re going to be wonderful. My favourite is The Warden. It’s a fascinating tale about the church and Victorian manners. – Pru Leith * Sunday Telegraph *
What a treat, if you like Austen, or Pym, or anyone who gives an account of petty relationships in a Deanery Close or other small community. Why did Freud bother? This is so much better, and truer * Daily Telegraph *
An affecting and delicate short novel * Guardian *
His characters are real, truthfully felt and never patronised by their creator * Daily Mail *

Anthony Trollope was born on 24 April 1815 and attended both Harrow and Winchester schools. His family were poor and eventually were forced to move to Belgium, where his father died. His mother, Frances Trollope, supported the family through writing. Trollope began a life-long career in the civil service with a position as clerk in the General Post Office in London - he is also credited with later introducing the pillar box. He published his first novel, The Macdermots of Ballycloran in 1847, but his fourth novel, The Warden (1855) began the series of ‘Barsetshire’ novels for which he was to become best known. This series of five novels featuring interconnecting characters spanned twenty years of Trollope’s career as a novelist, as did the ‘Palliser’ series. He wrote over 47 novels in total, as well as short stories, biographies, travel books and his own autobiography, which was published posthumously in 1883. Trollope resigned from the Post Office in 1867 and stood for Parliament as a Liberal, though he was not elected. He died on 6 December 1882.