Gulliver's Travels, by Jonathan Swift

For the 300th anniversary of its publication, we read the iconic “Gulliver’s Travels”. “Gulliver's Travels” is a 1726 satirical prose novel by the Anglo-Irish writer and clergyman Jonathan Swift. It is one of the most famous classics of both English and world literature, and popularised the fictional island of Lilliput. The poet John Gay remarked of the work, "It is universally read, from the cabinet council to the nursery.” The novel satirises human nature and the imaginary "travellers' tales" literary subgenre, and it has been adapted for theatrical performances, films, television, and radio over the centuries. “Gulliver's Travels” remains popular in modern times due to its insightful social commentary and political themes. Although the novel is popularly regarded as children's literature, Swift wrote it as a political satire. The book's satire, particularly its elaborate critique of human nature, societal flaws and norms, and personal relations, continues to be studied in literary circles. Since his death, Swift has emerged as the most widely read and translated Irish author, and Gulliver's Travels has retained its position as the most printed book by an Irish writer in libraries, bookstores, and reading cafes worldwide.