William Alexander Clouston was a nineteenth-century Scottish folklorist, journalist, and editorial writer who made significant contributions to the study of folklore and Eastern literature. Born in Stromness in the Orkney Islands to a family of Norse lineage, Clouston initially engaged in commercial endeavors in Glasgow and London during his early life. He eventually chose to leave the business sector behind to focus entirely on journalism and literary pursuits. Between 1871 and 1879, Clouston edited several provincial newspapers in Scotland, and he became a frequent contributor to major press outlets including the Glasgow Herald and the Evening Times. Clouston developed a particular expertise in Oriental fiction and comparative folklore. His scholarly efforts in this area led to a collaboration with Sir Richard Francis Burton, for whom Clouston compiled and analyzed numerous folklore analogues and story variants that were included in the first three volumes of Burton's Supplemental Arabian Nights.
