Anthony Hope

Anthony Hope (1863–1933) was the pen name of Sir Anthony Hope Hawkins, an English novelist and playwright best remembered as the creator of the "Ruritanian romance" genre. Born in London and educated at Marlborough College and Balliol College, Oxford, he practiced as a barrister before turning to full-time writing following the phenomenal success of his fiction.

His masterpiece, The Prisoner of Zenda (1894), tells the story of an Englishman who must impersonate the king of the fictional kingdom of Ruritania. The novel became an instant bestseller, was translated into many languages, and inspired countless adaptations for stage and screen. Its sequel, Rupert of Hentzau (1898), continued the adventures of its most memorable, charismatic villain.

Hope's other notable works include The Dolly Dialogues (1894), witty conversational sketches that first brought him fame; The Heart of Princess Osra (1896), linked stories set in Ruritania; The Chronicles of Count Antonio (1895); The King's Mirror (1899); and Sophy of Kravonia (1906), another adventure set in an imaginary European land.

Knighted in 1918 for his propaganda work during World War I, Hope remains influential for popularizing swashbuckling romantic adventure fiction, and the imaginary kingdom of Ruritania became a lasting archetype in literature.