Renowned English novelist, historian, and philanthropist Sir Walter Besant (1836-1901) was well-known for both his social involvement and prodigious literary output. Besant, who was born in Portsmouth, England, on August 14, 1836, first attended King's College in London before enrolling in Christ's College, Cambridge. Besant started out as a writer and became well-known for his novels, which frequently addressed social concerns and promoted change. He wrote several popular novels with author James Rice, such as "Ready Money Mortiboy" and "The Golden Butterfly." Apart from his creative endeavors, Besant took an active part in social reform. He was president of the Society of Authors and one of its founding members. Additionally, he was a major contributor to the founding of the Authors' Society, a group dedicated to defending the rights and interests of writers. Besant wrote historical and biographical pieces in addition to other literary works. Co-authored with James Rice, his "London" series offered in-depth historical depictions of the metropolis. In his historical novels, Besant frequently combined historical fiction with factual occurrences, as evidenced in "For Faith and Freedom" (1889).