WRITER
William Empson
1906 - 1984

William Empson
Sir William Empson (27 September 1906 – 15 April 1984) was an English literary critic and poet, widely influential for his practice of closely reading literary works, a practice fundamental to New Criticism. His best-known work is his first, Seven Types of Ambiguity, published in 1930. Jonathan Bate has written that the three greatest English literary critics of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries are Johnson, Hazlitt and Empson, "not least because they are the funniest". Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. William Empson is the 6,410th most popular writer (down from 6,240th in 2019), the 5,701st most popular biography from United Kingdom (down from 5,263rd in 2019) and the 637th most popular British Writer.
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Among WRITERS
Among writers, William Empson ranks 6,410 out of 7,302. Before him are Sonja Åkesson, Joel Barlow, Kamel Daoud, Reginald Hill, Nabaneeta Dev Sen, and Alan Hollinghurst. After him are Robert Cormier, Michel Faber, Oles Buzina, Denise Levertov, Kate Morton, and Snooki.
Most Popular Writers in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsSonja Åkesson
1926 - 1977
HPI: 50.50
Rank: 6,404
Joel Barlow
1754 - 1812
HPI: 50.50
Rank: 6,405
Kamel Daoud
1970 - Present
HPI: 50.48
Rank: 6,406
Reginald Hill
1936 - 2012
HPI: 50.48
Rank: 6,407
Nabaneeta Dev Sen
1938 - 2019
HPI: 50.47
Rank: 6,408
Alan Hollinghurst
1954 - Present
HPI: 50.46
Rank: 6,409
William Empson
1906 - 1984
HPI: 50.46
Rank: 6,410
Robert Cormier
1925 - 2000
HPI: 50.44
Rank: 6,411
Michel Faber
1960 - Present
HPI: 50.44
Rank: 6,412
Oles Buzina
1969 - 2015
HPI: 50.44
Rank: 6,413
Denise Levertov
1923 - 1997
HPI: 50.44
Rank: 6,414
Kate Morton
1976 - Present
HPI: 50.43
Rank: 6,415
Snooki
1987 - Present
HPI: 50.43
Rank: 6,416
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1906, William Empson ranks 420. Before him are Károly Weichelt, Willy Ley, Helen Wainwright, George Lott, Daulat Singh Kothari, and Mississippi Fred McDowell. After him are Olive Borden, Juan Argote, Stuart Milner-Barry, Mauri Rose, William Bendix, and Oscar Levant. Among people deceased in 1984, William Empson ranks 267. Before him are Tex Gibbons, Neil Hamilton, William D'Amico, Margaret Livingston, Tebbs Lloyd Johnson, and Andrea Leeds. After him are Jan Peerce, Shauna Grant, Ivor Montagu, Frank Church, June Marlowe, and Ernest Tubb.
Others Born in 1906
Go to all RankingsKároly Weichelt
SOCCER PLAYER
1906 - 1971
HPI: 51.12
Rank: 414
Willy Ley
ENGINEER
1906 - 1969
HPI: 51.12
Rank: 415
Helen Wainwright
SWIMMER
1906 - 1965
HPI: 51.07
Rank: 416
George Lott
TENNIS PLAYER
1906 - 1991
HPI: 50.95
Rank: 417
Daulat Singh Kothari
PHYSICIST
1906 - 1993
HPI: 50.90
Rank: 418
Mississippi Fred McDowell
SINGER
1906 - 1972
HPI: 50.69
Rank: 419
William Empson
WRITER
1906 - 1984
HPI: 50.46
Rank: 420
Olive Borden
ACTOR
1906 - 1947
HPI: 50.28
Rank: 421
Juan Argote
SOCCER PLAYER
1906 - Present
HPI: 50.17
Rank: 422
Stuart Milner-Barry
MATHEMATICIAN
1906 - 1995
HPI: 49.97
Rank: 423
Mauri Rose
RACING DRIVER
1906 - 1981
HPI: 49.78
Rank: 424
William Bendix
ACTOR
1906 - 1964
HPI: 49.65
Rank: 425
Oscar Levant
MUSICIAN
1906 - 1972
HPI: 49.63
Rank: 426
Others Deceased in 1984
Go to all RankingsTex Gibbons
BASKETBALL PLAYER
1907 - 1984
HPI: 51.12
Rank: 261
Neil Hamilton
ACTOR
1899 - 1984
HPI: 50.95
Rank: 262
William D'Amico
ATHLETE
1910 - 1984
HPI: 50.82
Rank: 263
Margaret Livingston
ACTOR
1895 - 1984
HPI: 50.74
Rank: 264
Tebbs Lloyd Johnson
POLITICIAN
1900 - 1984
HPI: 50.72
Rank: 265
Andrea Leeds
ACTOR
1914 - 1984
HPI: 50.62
Rank: 266
William Empson
WRITER
1906 - 1984
HPI: 50.46
Rank: 267
Jan Peerce
SINGER
1904 - 1984
HPI: 50.35
Rank: 268
Shauna Grant
PORNOGRAPHIC ACTOR
1963 - 1984
HPI: 50.34
Rank: 269
Ivor Montagu
FILM DIRECTOR
1904 - 1984
HPI: 50.08
Rank: 270
Frank Church
POLITICIAN
1924 - 1984
HPI: 50.05
Rank: 271
June Marlowe
ACTOR
1903 - 1984
HPI: 49.58
Rank: 272
Ernest Tubb
SINGER
1914 - 1984
HPI: 49.39
Rank: 273
In United Kingdom
Among people born in United Kingdom, William Empson ranks 5,703 out of 8,785. Before him are Hermione Gingold (1897), Jackie Blanchflower (1933), Peter Westbury (1938), John Oxley (1785), Phyllida Lloyd (1957), and Alan Hollinghurst (1954). After him are Sam Hutchinson (1989), Ralph Firman (1975), Hablot Knight Browne (1815), David Hemery (1944), Denise Levertov (1923), and Cyril Burt (1883).
Others born in United Kingdom
Go to all RankingsHermione Gingold
ACTOR
1897 - 1987
HPI: 50.46
Rank: 5,697
Jackie Blanchflower
SOCCER PLAYER
1933 - 1998
HPI: 50.46
Rank: 5,698
Peter Westbury
RACING DRIVER
1938 - 2015
HPI: 50.46
Rank: 5,699
John Oxley
EXPLORER
1785 - 1828
HPI: 50.46
Rank: 5,700
Phyllida Lloyd
FILM DIRECTOR
1957 - Present
HPI: 50.46
Rank: 5,701
Alan Hollinghurst
WRITER
1954 - Present
HPI: 50.46
Rank: 5,702
William Empson
WRITER
1906 - 1984
HPI: 50.46
Rank: 5,703
Sam Hutchinson
SOCCER PLAYER
1989 - Present
HPI: 50.45
Rank: 5,704
Ralph Firman
RACING DRIVER
1975 - Present
HPI: 50.45
Rank: 5,705
Hablot Knight Browne
PAINTER
1815 - 1882
HPI: 50.44
Rank: 5,706
David Hemery
ATHLETE
1944 - Present
HPI: 50.44
Rank: 5,707
Denise Levertov
WRITER
1923 - 1997
HPI: 50.44
Rank: 5,708
Cyril Burt
PSYCHOLOGIST
1883 - 1971
HPI: 50.43
Rank: 5,709
Among WRITERS In United Kingdom
Among writers born in United Kingdom, William Empson ranks 637. Before him are Susan Hill (1942), John Addington Symonds (1840), Dick King-Smith (1922), Joanna Baillie (1762), Reginald Hill (1936), and Alan Hollinghurst (1954). After him are Denise Levertov (1923), P. H. Newby (1918), Benjamin Zephaniah (1958), John Gribbin (1946), Hugh MacDiarmid (1892), and Helen Bannerman (1862).
Susan Hill
1942 - Present
HPI: 50.68
Rank: 631
John Addington Symonds
1840 - 1893
HPI: 50.62
Rank: 632
Dick King-Smith
1922 - 2011
HPI: 50.56
Rank: 633
Joanna Baillie
1762 - 1851
HPI: 50.51
Rank: 634
Reginald Hill
1936 - 2012
HPI: 50.48
Rank: 635
Alan Hollinghurst
1954 - Present
HPI: 50.46
Rank: 636
William Empson
1906 - 1984
HPI: 50.46
Rank: 637
Denise Levertov
1923 - 1997
HPI: 50.44
Rank: 638
P. H. Newby
1918 - 1997
HPI: 50.40
Rank: 639
Benjamin Zephaniah
1958 - 2023
HPI: 50.38
Rank: 640
John Gribbin
1946 - Present
HPI: 50.34
Rank: 641
Hugh MacDiarmid
1892 - 1978
HPI: 50.34
Rank: 642
Helen Bannerman
1862 - 1946
HPI: 50.32
Rank: 643