Robert Dodsley was an English publisher, bookseller, poet, and playwright who played a pivotal role in the mid-eighteenth-century London literary scene. Born in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, he began his working life in humble circumstances, first apprenticed to a stocking weaver and later serving as a footman. During his time in domestic service, Dodsley began writing poetry, publishing Servitude in 1729 and The Muse in Livery in 1732, which garnered him literary notice and the crucial patronage of Alexander Pope.
With Pope's financial assistance, Dodsley established himself as a bookseller and publisher in 1735, opening a shop at Tully's Head in Pall Mall. His business quickly became a central hub for London's intellectual elite. As a publisher, Dodsley is highly regarded for recognizing and fostering talent; he was one of the primary publishers of Samuel Johnson, suggesting the idea of the Dictionary of the English Language and helping to finance its creation. He also published works by Thomas Gray, Alexander Pope, and Oliver Goldsmith.
In addition to his publishing enterprise, Dodsley was a prolific writer and editor. He wrote several successful theatrical works, including the satirical drama The Toyshop and the tragedy Cleone. His most enduring contribution to English literary scholarship was his multi-volume anthology, A Select Collection of Old Plays (1744), which revived interest in Renaissance drama, alongside his influential poetry anthology, Collection of Poems by Several Hands.