Gilbert Keith Chesterton, known as G. K. Chesterton, was born in London in 1874. Though baptized into the Church of England, Chesterton grew up without religious conviction. He returned to Christianity after marrying Frances Blogg at the age of 27, eventually becoming a Catholic in 1922.

A prolific writer and social critic, Chesterton wrote weekly columns for over three decades for the Illustrated London News, beginning in 1905. Over the course of his career, he wrote almost 80 books, hundreds of poems and short stories, and thousands of essays and newspaper columns. Along with his contemporary Chester Belloc and younger counterpart C.S. Lewis, Chesterton was one of the foremost English voices on such topics as Christianity, religion, philosophy, literature, the arts, and cultural criticism. The Everlasting Man showcases Chesterton’s concise, idiosyncratic style, replete with witty aphorisms and cutting critiques.

Chesterton’s influence remains broad; his works have been widely read for more than a century. Most of his work reflects a love for the Catholic faith, explicitly advocating a Christian way of life or simply operating from a Catholic worldview (such as the Fr. Brown mystery novels featuring a Catholic priest detective).