William Morris (1834–1896) was an English textile designer, poet, artist, and socialist activist linked to the Arts and Crafts movement. Along with his wife and daughter, he played a key role in reviving traditional British textile arts and promoting socialist ideals in Victorian Britain. Morris was also influential in establishing modern fantasy literature.
Born in Walthamstow to a wealthy family, Morris studied at Oxford, where he embraced medievalism and befriended key figures like Edward Burne-Jones and Dante Gabriel Rossetti. He co-founded the decorative arts firm Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co., which greatly impacted Victorian interior decoration. Later renamed Morris & Co., the firm produced tapestries, wallpapers, and more.
Morris also translated Icelandic sagas, wrote epic poems and novels like "News from Nowhere," and founded the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings. As a committed socialist, he established the Socialist League in 1884 and launched the Kelmscott Press in 1891 to produce high-quality printed books. Morris’s legacy lives on in his enduring designs and the continued influence of his writings and social activism.
