Edward Bellamy American novelist and social reformer Date of Birth: 26.03.1850 Country: USA

Biography of Edward Bellamy

Edward Bellamy was an American novelist and social reformer, born on March 26, 1850 in Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts. After completing his education in his hometown, he spent a year at Union College and then embarked on a journey to Europe at the age of eighteen.

In 1871, Bellamy joined the staff of the newspaper "New York Evening Post," and from 1872 to 1876, he wrote editorials and book reviews for the "Springfield Union" newspaper. He dedicated the next ten years entirely to literary work and gained recognition as one of the most promising young writers in America, with the publication of over thirty short stories and three novels.

His most notable work, "Looking Backward" (1888), was a utopian novel set in Boston in the year 2000. It described a society that Bellamy envisioned, where a new social order, essentially an American version of socialism, had been established. The protagonist of the book is a Bostonian who accidentally travels from the 19th century to the year 2000 and discovers this new societal structure. The novel was also translated into Russian under various titles, including "The Golden Age" and "In the Year 2000."

In "Equality" (1897), another of his works, Bellamy responded to the criticisms of his utopia and filled in gaps in the description of the proposed social system. The book can be considered as an economic treatise.

Edward Bellamy passed away on May 22, 1898 in Chicopee Falls, his place of birth.