Vampire author lived here

John Polidori, father of Vampire novels, lived and died here.

Location: 38 Great Pulteney Street, London

Description: John William Polidori was Lord Byron's physician, and one night in July 1816 Byron had read a collection of horror stories one night to a group including Polidori and Mary Shelley. Byron suggested a competition to write the best ghost story.

Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein and Polidori wrote The Vampyre, one of the most influential titles in gothic literature.

Byron dismissed the book and dismissed him, but on Polidori's return to England he found that his story had been published under Byron's name in a magazine.

He was counter accused of plagiarism and his career never recovered, he took his own life here by drinking Prussic acid on 24th August 1821.

Tours: m

Tours: The Weird and Wonderful

Themes: Literary Literary Theme