George Robert Gissing was an English novelist who published 23 novels between 1880 and 1903. From his early naturalistic works, he developed into one of the most accomplished realists of the late-Victorian era. Gissing was born in Wakefield, Yorkshire, to lower-middle class parents. A brilliant student, he won a scholarship to Owens College, the present day University of Manchester where he excelled, winning many coveted prizes, including the Shakespeare prize in 1875. His academic career ended in disgrace when he fell in love with a young prostitute, Marianne Helen Harrison . In an attempt... to keep her from the streets he gave her money, and when his own funds ran short he began to steal from his fellow students. Eventually he was caught, expelled from the university, and prosecuted for theft and sentenced to one month's hard labour in prison. In October 1876, with support from sympathisers, he was sent to the United States, where, when close to starvation, he managed to earn a precarious living by writing short stories for the Chicago Tribune.
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| Birthdate: | November 22, 1857 |
| Birthplace: | Wakefield |
| Date of death: | December 28, 1903 |