Bloomsbury Publishing is a British publishing house that has had a huge impact on publishing and literature in the UK, US, and beyond. They were founded by William Archibald Bloomsbury in 1846, and since then they have published fiction, poetry, drama, children's books, academic texts, and more. Their notable authors include D.H. Lawrence, Virginia Woolf, Marcel Proust, George Orwell, and J.K. Rowling. The history of Bloomsbury Publishing is largely intertwined with the history of British Literature. The company was founded by William Archibald Bloomsbury in 1846 following his father's death in 1843. William Bloomsbury was born in 1819 and attended Oxford University for two years before he took over his father's business. He published the first works of Charles Dickens in 1848 which helped to establish his company as one of the leading publishers of literature at the time. They initially published books with "no intention of making any profit" but over time they began to offer book sets at affordable prices which made them popular among mid-class readers. Their self-publishing contributed to their continued success in the 19th century when they published works by Oscar Wilde, W.B. Yeats, Arthur Conan Doyle, George Bernard Shaw, H.G Foxley Fairleigh, and many others. Nowadays the company is considered one of the most prestigious publishing houses in Britain with a strong reputation for publishing literary fiction that explores new topics or tackles difficult issues with sensitivity and nuance. They are also known for their high-quality children's books which are often targeted for both adults and children alike. The company has also produced numerous academic texts for both students and teachers which are commonly used in schools across the UK and US today.