The World's Desire

Andrew Lang (1844-1912) was a Scottish editor, poet, author, literary critic, and historian. He is best known for his work regarding folklore, mythology, and religion, for which he had an extreme interest in. Lang was a skilled and respected historian, writing in great detail and exploring obscure topics. Lang often combined his studies of history and anthropology with literature, creating works rich with diverse culture. He married Leonora Blanche Alleyne in 1875. With her help, Lang published a prolific amount of work, including his popular series, Rainbow Fairy Books.

H. Rider Haggard (1856–1925), also known as Sir Henry Rider Haggard, was an English novelist and scholar. He was educated at Ipswich Grammar School and studied with a private tutor in London. Later, Haggard would travel to South Africa where he worked as a governor’s assistant. Upon his return to England, he began writing fiction and nonfiction about his experiences abroad. This led to a successful publishing career which included the novels, King Solomon’s Mines (1885) and Allan Quatermain (1887).