Matthew Lewis was born in London in 1775. A diplomat for a brief period and later an MP, he was best-known for The Monk, a Gothic novel in the style of Ann Radcliffe, although far more sexually explicit. In 1812 he inherited the family estate in Jamaica, which he visited twice, writing the Journal of a Residence Among the Negroes (published posthumously). On his second visit he caught yellow fever and died on the way back to England in 1818 and was buried at sea.

About the Author

Matthew Lewis was born in London in 1775. A diplomat for a brief period and later an MP, he was best-known for The Monk, a Gothic novel in the style of Ann Radcliffe, although far more sexually explicit. In 1812 he inherited the family estate in Jamaica, which he visited twice, writing the Journal of a Residence Among the Negroes (published posthumously). On his second visit he caught yellow fever and died on the way back to England in 1818 and was buried at sea.