Richard Aldington was an English writer, poet, and biographer whose prolific fifty-year career spanned multiple genres, including poetry, fiction, essays, and literary criticism. Born Edward Godfree Aldington, he became a key figure in the early twentieth-century literary landscape as an associate of the Imagist movement. He served as an editor for the influential literary journal The Egoist and contributed widely to other prominent publications of his era, such as The Times Literary Supplement, Vogue, The Criterion, and Poetry.
Throughout his career, Aldington maintained close relationships with many of the most significant literary figures of his generation, including T. S. Eliot, D. H. Lawrence, Ezra Pound, and W. B. Yeats. He was married to the poet Hilda Doolittle (H.D.) from 1913 to 1938, and he actively championed her work, helping her secure international recognition as a leading voice of the Imagist movement.
In addition to his poetry and editorial work, Aldington was a highly successful biographer and translator. His 1946 biography of the Duke of Wellington, titled Wellington, was awarded the prestigious James Tait Black Memorial Prize. Over his lifetime, Aldington produced over a hundred separate titles and published thousands of book reviews and articles, leaving behind a vast literary legacy.
