Samuel Johnson, Literary Life Writing, and Lichfield Literary Culture, 1775-1835

From 1775-1835, life writing underwent monumental changes, completing a shift away from the 'exemplary' models of biography that dominated earlier periods to new modes interested in the interior psychological, moral, and creative lives of individuals. Samuel Johnson was a major theorist and practitioner of biography, as well as the subject of the period's most famous biography, Boswell's Life of Johnson. Johnson's direct and indirect influence on his contemporaries, including those based in or associated with his native Lichfield, was an impetus for experimentation in biographical genres. The project re-examines late Georgian literary culture by offering the student the chance to re-evaluate the literary group centred in Lichfield. It will provide the student with privileged access to an under-examined collection of manuscripts and printed books, rigorous training in archival and curatorial work, and public engagement opportunities through the Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum.