About
Oliver Goldsmith (10 November 1728 – 4 April 1774) was an Anglo-Irish poet, novelist, playwright, and hack writer. He produced literary works in a variety of genres, and is regarded among the most versatile writers of the Georgian era. After spending his early years in Dublin, he worked in London where he met many of the writers who shaped his later career. His works are known for their realistic depiction of society, and his comedy plays for the English stage are considered second in importance only to those of the playwright William Shakespeare. Several of his works are regarded as popular classics of the period, including the novel The Vicar of Wakefield (1766) and the play She Stoops to Conquer (1771).