Daniel Defoe Blue Plaque

About This Blue Plaque

Daniel Defoe was a prolific English writer, journalist, and pamphleteer who is best known for his novels Robinson Crusoe and Moll Flanders. Born in 1660 in London, Defoe was a pioneering figure in the development of the English novel and is often considered one of the founders of the genre.

Throughout his life, Defoe engaged in various occupations, including merchant adventurer, government spy, and journalist. His experiences and travels greatly influenced his writing, which often focused on themes of survival, morality, and social commentary. Defoe’s most famous work, Robinson Crusoe, tells the story of a castaway who spends 28 years on a remote tropical island, drawing on Defoe’s own fascination with travel and adventure.

Defoe lived in a house on this site in Stoke Newington, a district in the London Borough of Hackney. During the late 17th and early 18th centuries, Stoke Newington was a popular rural retreat for wealthy Londoners, and it is likely that Defoe sought refuge here from the bustle of the city. The borough of Hackney has a rich literary history, with many notable writers, including Edgar Allan Poe and Joseph Conrad, having called it home.

Despite facing numerous challenges throughout his life, including bankruptcy and political persecution, Defoe remained a prolific writer until his death in 1731. His works, which span fiction, non-fiction, and journalism, continue to be widely read and admired for their vivid storytelling, social commentary, and contributions to the development of the English novel.