William Morris

William Morris was one of the most influential Pre-Raphaelite artists, textile designer and writer of his time during the English Arts and Crafts Movement. As an author and medievalist, he helped establish the modern fantasy genre that has gone to inspire contemporary authors of today including J.R.R. Tolkien and J.K. Rowling. Some of his notable works include ‘News from Nowhere’ and ‘The Well at the World’s End’. He also contributed in refreshing traditional fabric arts and methods of production. One of the founders of the Society for Protection of Ancient Buildings, Morris’s name has gone down in history as the iconic figure who changed the face of ancient buildings conservation in the United Kingdom. Some of his best-written works include ‘A Dream of John Ball’, and ‘The Earthly Paradise’. He was an important figure in the advent of socialism in Britain, founding the Socialist League, but leaving the organization due to differences in goals and means. He devoted much of his later life to the Kelmscott Press, which was involved in the production of illuminated-style print books.