John William Polidori
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John William Polidori (7 September 1795 – 24 August 1821) was a British writer and physician. He is known for his associations with the
Romantic movement Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic, literary, musical, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century, and in most areas was at its peak in the approximate ...
and credited by some as the creator of the
vampire A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mi ...
genre Genre () is any form or type of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially-agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other for ...
of
fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...
fiction. His most successful work was the short story "
The Vampyre "The Vampyre" is a short work of prose fiction written in 1819 by John William Polidori taken from the story Lord Byron told as part of a contest among Polidori, Mary Shelley, Lord Byron, and Percy Shelley. The same contest produced the novel '' ...
" (1819), the first published modern vampire story. Although the story was at first erroneously credited to
Lord Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), known simply as Lord Byron, was an English romantic poet and Peerage of the United Kingdom, peer. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and h ...
, both Byron and Polidori affirmed that the author was Polidori.


Family

John William Polidori was born on 7 September 1795 in
Westminster Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster. The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Bu ...
, the oldest son of
Gaetano Polidori Gaetano Fedele Polidori (1763–1853) was an Italian writer, political and scholar living in Highgate. He was the son of Agostino Ansano Polidori (1714–1778), a physician and poet who lived and practised in his native Bientina, near Pisa, ...
, an Italian political
émigré An ''émigré'' () is a person who has emigrated, often with a connotation of political or social self-exile. The word is the past participle of the French ''émigrer'', "to emigrate". French Huguenots Many French Huguenots fled France followi ...
scholar, and his wife Anna Maria Pierce, an English governess. He had three brothers and four sisters. His sister,
Frances Polidori Frances Mary Lavinia Polidori, ''later'' Rossetti, of London (27 April 1800 – 8 April 1886), was a scholar, daughter, wife, sister and mother of important writers and artists; she was the governess of her four children. She was also a model of ...
, married the exiled Italian scholar
Gabriele Rossetti Gabriele Pasquale Giuseppe Rossetti (28 February 1783 – 24 April 1854) was an Italian nobleman, poet, constitutionalist, scholar, and founder of the secret society Carbonari. Rossetti was born in Vasto in the Kingdom of Naples. He was Roma ...
, and thus Polidori, posthumously, became the uncle of
Maria Francesca Rossetti Maria Francesca Rossetti (17 February 1827 – 24 November 1876) was a London-born English author and nun. She was the sister of artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti and William Michael Rossetti, and of Christina Georgina Rossetti, who dedicated her 1 ...
,
Dante Gabriel Rossetti Gabriel Charles Dante Rossetti (12 May 1828 – 9 April 1882), generally known as Dante Gabriel Rossetti (), was an English poet, illustrator, painter, translator and member of the Rossetti family. He founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhoo ...
,
William Michael Rossetti William Michael Rossetti (25 September 1829 – 5 February 1919) was an English writer and critic. Early life Born in London, Rossetti was a son of immigrant Italian scholar Gabriele Rossetti and his wife Frances Rossetti ''née'' Polidor ...
, and Christina Georgina Rossetti. William Michael Rossetti published Polidori's journal in 1911.


Biography

Polidori was one of the earliest pupils at the recently established
Ampleforth College Ampleforth College is a co-educational independent day and boarding school in the English public school tradition located in the village of Ampleforth, North Yorkshire, England. It opened in 1802 as a boys' school, it is situated in the groun ...
from 1804. In 1810 he went up to the
University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...
, where he wrote a thesis on sleepwalking and received his degree as a doctor of medicine on 1 August 1815, at the age of 19. In 1816, which became known as the
Year Without a Summer The year 1816 is known as the Year Without a Summer because of severe climate abnormalities that caused average global temperatures to decrease by . Summer temperatures in Europe were the extreme weather, coldest on record between the years of 1 ...
Polidori entered
Lord Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), known simply as Lord Byron, was an English romantic poet and Peerage of the United Kingdom, peer. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and h ...
's service as his personal physician and accompanied him on a trip through Europe. Publisher John Murray offered Polidori 500 English pounds to keep a diary of their travels, which Polidori's nephew William Michael Rossetti later edited. At the
Villa Diodati The Villa Diodati is a mansion in the village of Cologny near Lake Geneva in Switzerland, notable because Lord Byron rented it and stayed there with John Polidori in the summer of 1816. Mary Shelley and Percy Bysshe Shelley, who had rented a house ...
, a house Byron rented by
Lake Geneva , image = Lake Geneva by Sentinel-2.jpg , caption = Satellite image , image_bathymetry = , caption_bathymetry = , location = Switzerland, France , coords = , lake_type = Glacial lak ...
in Switzerland, the pair met with
Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (; ; 30 August 1797 – 1 February 1851) was an English novelist who wrote the Gothic fiction, Gothic novel ''Frankenstein, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' (1818), which is considered an History of scie ...
, her husband-to-be,
Percy Bysshe Shelley Percy Bysshe Shelley ( ; 4 August 17928 July 1822) was one of the major English Romantic poets. A radical in his poetry as well as in his political and social views, Shelley did not achieve fame during his lifetime, but recognition of his achie ...
, and their companion (Mary's stepsister)
Claire Clairmont Clara Mary Jane Clairmont (27 April 1798 – 19 March 1879), or Claire Clairmont as she was commonly known, was the stepsister of the writer Mary Shelley and the mother of Lord Byron's daughter Allegra. She is thought to be the subject of a poe ...
. One night in June after the company had read aloud from ''
Fantasmagoriana ''Fantasmagoriana'' is a French anthology of German ghost stories, translated anonymously by Jean-Baptiste Benoît Eyriès and published in 1812. Most of the stories are from the first two volumes of Johann August Apel and Friedrich Laun's (1 ...
'', a French collection of German horror tales, Byron suggested they each write a ghost story. Percy Bysshe Shelley wrote "A Fragment of a Ghost Story" and wrote down five ghost stories recounted by Matthew Gregory "Monk" Lewis, published posthumously as the ''Journal at Geneva (including ghost stories)'' and on return to England, 1816, the journal entries beginning on 18 August 1816. Mary Shelley worked on a tale that would later evolve into ''
Frankenstein ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific ex ...
''. Byron wrote (and quickly abandoned) a fragment of a story, " A Fragment", featuring the main character Augustus Darvell, which Polidori used later as the basis for his own tale, "
The Vampyre "The Vampyre" is a short work of prose fiction written in 1819 by John William Polidori taken from the story Lord Byron told as part of a contest among Polidori, Mary Shelley, Lord Byron, and Percy Shelley. The same contest produced the novel '' ...
", the first published modern vampire story in English. Polidori's conversation with Percy Bysshe Shelley on 15 June 1816, as recounted in ''The Diary'', is regarded as the origin or genesis of ''Frankenstein''. They discussed "the nature of the principle of life": "June 15 - ... Shelley etc. came in the evening ... Afterwards, Shelley and I had a conversation about principles — whether man was to be thought merely an instrument." Dismissed by Byron, Polidori traveled in Italy and then returned to England. His story, "The Vampyre", which featured the main character Lord Ruthven, was published in the April 1819 issue of ''
New Monthly Magazine ''The New Monthly Magazine'' was a British monthly magazine published from 1814 to 1884. It was founded by Henry Colburn and published by him through to 1845. History Colburn and Frederic Shoberl established ''The New Monthly Magazine and Univer ...
'' without his permission. Whilst in London he lived on Great Pulteney Street in
Soho Soho is an area of the City of Westminster, part of the West End of London. Originally a fashionable district for the aristocracy, it has been one of the main entertainment districts in the capital since the 19th century. The area was develop ...
. Much to both his and Byron's chagrin, "The Vampyre" was released as a new work by Byron. Byron's own vampire story "Fragment of a Novel" or "A Fragment" was published in 1819 in an attempt to clear up the confusion, but, for better or worse, "The Vampyre" continued to be attributed to him. Polidori's long, Byron-influenced theological poem '' The Fall of the Angels'' was published anonymously in 1821.


Death

Polidori died at his father's London house on 24 August 1821, weighed down by depression and gambling debts. Despite strong evidence that he died by suicide by means of
prussic acid Hydrogen cyanide, sometimes called prussic acid, is a chemical compound with the formula HCN and structure . It is a colorless, extremely poisonous, and flammable liquid that boils slightly above room temperature, at . HCN is produced on an in ...
, the coroner gave a verdict of death by natural causes.


Works


Plays

* ''Cajetan'', a play (1816) * ''Boadicea'', a play (1816)


Poems

* '' Ximenes, the Wreath and Other Poems'' (1819) *'' The Fall of the Angels: A Sacred Poem'' (1821)


Novellas

* ''
The Vampyre "The Vampyre" is a short work of prose fiction written in 1819 by John William Polidori taken from the story Lord Byron told as part of a contest among Polidori, Mary Shelley, Lord Byron, and Percy Shelley. The same contest produced the novel '' ...
: A Tale'' (1819) - a text that is "often even cited as almost folkloric sources on vampirism". * ''Ernestus Berchtold; or, The Modern Oedipus: A Tale'' (1819)


Non-fiction

* ''A Medical Inaugural Dissertation which deals with the disease called Oneirodynia, for the degree of Medical Doctor'', Edinburgh (1815) * '' The Diary of Dr. John William Polidori'' (1816, published posthumously in 1911) * '' On the Punishment of Death'' (1816) * '' An Essay Upon the Source of Positive Pleasure'' (1818) * '' Sketches Illustrative of the Manners and Costumes of France, Switzerland and Italy'' (1821)


Posthumous editions

His sister Charlotte transcribed Polidori's diaries, but censored "peccant passages" and destroyed the original. Based only on the transcription, ''The Diary of John Polidori'' was edited by
William Michael Rossetti William Michael Rossetti (25 September 1829 – 5 February 1919) was an English writer and critic. Early life Born in London, Rossetti was a son of immigrant Italian scholar Gabriele Rossetti and his wife Frances Rossetti ''née'' Polidor ...
and first published in 1911 by
Elkin Mathews Charles Elkin Mathews (1851 – 10 November 1921) was a British publisher and bookseller who played an important role in the literary life of London in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Mathews was born in Gravesend, and learned his tr ...
(London). Reprints of this book, ''The Diary of Dr. John William Polidori, 1816, relating to Byron, Shelley, etc.'', was published by Folcroft Library Editions (Folcroft, PA) in 1975, and by Norwood Editions (Norwood, PA) in 1978. A new edition of ''The Diary of John William Polidori'' was reprinted by Cornell University in 2009.


Legacy


Memorials

A memorial plaque on Polidori's home at 38 Great Pulteney Street was unveiled on 15 July 1998 by the Italian Ambassador, Paolo Galli.


Appearances in other media


Film

Multiple films have depicted John Polidori, and the genesis of the ''Frankenstein'' and "Vampyre" stories in 1816: *''
Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
'' (1986), directed by
Ken Russell Henry Kenneth Alfred Russell (3 July 1927 – 27 November 2011) was a British film director, known for his pioneering work in television and film and for his flamboyant and controversial style. His films in the main were liberal adaptation ...
, with
Timothy Spall Timothy Leonard Spall (born 27 February 1957) is an English actor and presenter. He became a household name in the UK after appearing as Barry Spencer Taylor in the 1983 ITV comedy-drama series ''Auf Wiedersehen, Pet''. Spall performed in '' S ...
as Polidori *''
Haunted Summer ''Haunted Summer'' is a 1988 drama film directed by Ivan Passer. Plot summary In 1816, authors Lord Byron, Percy Shelley, and Mary Shelley (née Godwin) get together for some philosophical discussions, but the situation soon deteriorates into ...
'' (1988), directed by
Ivan Passer Ivan Passer (10 July 1933 – 9 January 2020) was a Czech film director and screenwriter, best known for his involvement in the Czechoslovak New Wave and for directing American films such as ''Born to Win'' (1971), '' Cutter's Way'' (1981) and ...
, with
Alex Winter Alexander Ross Winter (born July 17, 1965) is a British-American actor and filmmaker. He played the slacker Bill in the 1989 film '' Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure'' and its sequels ''Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey'' (1991) and '' Bill & Ted Face ...
as Polidori *''
Remando al viento ''Rowing with the Wind'' a.k.a. ''Remando al viento'' (Spanish title) is a 1988 Spanish film written and directed by Gonzalo Suárez. The film won seven Goya Awards. It concerns the English writer Mary Shelley and her circle. Plot In the summer ...
'' (1988; English title: ''Rowing with the Wind'') directed by Gonzalo Suárez *''
Mary Shelley Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (; ; 30 August 1797 – 1 February 1851) was an English novelist who wrote the Gothic fiction, Gothic novel ''Frankenstein, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' (1818), which is considered an History of scie ...
'' (2017), directed by
Haifaa Al-Mansour Haifaa al-Mansour ( ar, هيفاء المنصور ''Hayfā’a al-Manṣūr''; born 10 August 1974), is a Saudi Arabian film director. She is one of the country's best-known and most controversial directors, and the first female Saudi filmmaker ...
Additionally, Polidori's name was used for fictional characters in the following films: *'' Frankenstein: The True Story'' (1973), a television movie featuring a character named Dr. Polidori *'' Vampires vs. the Bronx'' (2020), a film featuring a character named Frank Polidori


Literature

*Polidori appears as one of several minor characters killed off by Frankenstein's creature in
Peter Ackroyd Peter Ackroyd (born 5 October 1949) is an English biographer, novelist and critic with a specialist interest in the history and culture of London. For his novels about English history and culture and his biographies of, among others, William ...
's novel ''
The Casebook of Victor Frankenstein ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
''. *Polidori is a central character in
Federico Andahazi Federico Andahazi (born June 6, 1963) is an Argentine writer and psychologist. Biography Federico Andahazi was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, at Congreso, a very central neighborhood of the city. He is the son of Bela Andahazi, an aristocratic ...
's novel ''The Merciful Women'' (''Las Piadosas'' in the original Argentine edition). In it, he receives ''The Vampyre'' written by the fictional character of Annette Legrand, in exchange for some "favours". *Polidori appears as a character in
Howard Brenton Howard John Brenton FRSL (born 13 December 1942) is an English playwright and screenwriter. While little-known in the United States, he is celebrated in his home country and often ranked alongside contemporaries such as Edward Bond, Caryl Chur ...
's play '' Bloody Poetry'' (though for some reason Brenton calls him William.) *Polidori is a prominent character and the catalyst in events in Brooklyn Ann's historical paranormal romance novel, '' Bite Me, Your Grace''. *Polidori is a central character in
Emmanuel Carrère Emmanuel Carrère (born 9 December 1957) is a French author, screenwriter and film director. Life Family Carrère was born into a wealthy family in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. His father, Louis Carrère d'Encausse, is a retired insuranc ...
's novel ''Gothic Romance'' (''Bravoure'' in the original French edition), which, amongst other things, presents a fictionalised account of the events of 1816. *Polidori appears as a character in
Susanna Clarke Susanna Mary Clarke (born 1 November 1959) is an English author known for her debut novel ''Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell'' (2004), a Hugo Award-winning alternative history. Clarke began ''Jonathan Strange'' in 1993 and worked on it during her ...
's novel ''
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell ''Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell'' is the debut novel by British writer Susanna Clarke. Published in 2004, it is an alternative history set in 19th-century England around the time of the Napoleonic Wars. Its premise is that magic once existed i ...
''. *Polidori appears as an enemy of Lord Byron (who is a vampire) in
Tom Holland Thomas Stanley Holland (born 1 June 1996) is an English actor. His accolades include a British Academy Film Award, three Saturn Awards, a Guinness World Record and an appearance on the ''Forbes'' 30 Under 30 Europe list. Some publications h ...
's novel '' Lord of the Dead''. *Polidori is also the 'hero' of the novel ''Imposture'' (2007) by Benjamin Markovits. *Polidori is also the central character in
Derek Marlowe Derek William Mario Marlowe (21 May 1938 – 14 November 1996) was an English playwright, novelist, screenwriter and painter. Life Derek Marlowe was born in Perivale, Middlesex, and lived there and in Greenford as a child. His father was Fre ...
's novel ''A Single Summer With L B'', which presents an account (fictionalised) of the summer of 1816. *Polidori appears as a minor and unsympathetic character in the
Tim Powers Timothy Thomas Powers (born February 29, 1952) is an American science fiction and fantasy fiction, fantasy author. Powers has won the World Fantasy Award twice for his critically acclaimed novels ''Last Call (novel), Last Call'' and ''Declare''. ...
' horror novel '' The Stress of Her Regard'' (1989), in which Polidori does not write about vampires but becomes directly involved with them. In Powers' sequel (of sorts), '' Hide Me Among the Graves'' (2012), Polidori is a vampire and a central villain menacing the novel's protagonists, his nieces and nephews in the Rossetti family. *Paul West's novel ''Lord Byron's Doctor'' (1989) is a recreation, and ribald fictionalization, of Polidori's diaries. West depicts him as a literary groupie whose attempts to emulate Byron eventually unhinge and destroy him. *(2013): Polidori is a prominent character in P.J. Parker's internationally-acclaimed historic fictio
''Fire on the Water: A Companion to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein''
*(2019): P.J. Parker's historic fictio
''Origin of the Vampyre''
pulls back the shroud of mystery surrounding the publication of Polidori's novel. *(2011): In
Ben Aaronovitch Ben Dylan Aaronovitch (born 22 February 1964) is an English author and screenwriter. He is the author of the ''Rivers of London'' series of novels. He also wrote two ''Doctor Who'' serials in the late 1980s and spin-off novels from ''Doctor Who' ...
's ''
Rivers of London Rivers of London may refer to * Blue Ribbon Network, a policy element of the London Plan relating to the navigable waterways of London * ''Rivers of London'' (novel), a 2011 urban fantasy novel by Ben Aaronovitch :* Peter Grant (book series) - t ...
'' and the other Peter Grant books, Polidori is often cited as a source of information about the supernatural.


Opera

*Polidori functions as narrator in John Mueter's one-act opera ''Everlasting Universe'' and has a speaking role in several scenes.


Television

*In the '' Highlander: The Series'' episode " The Modern Prometheus", which featured
Lord Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), known simply as Lord Byron, was an English romantic poet and Peerage of the United Kingdom, peer. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and h ...
, one of the series regulars,
Methos This is a list of characters from the '' Highlander'' franchise. Major characters Major characters appear in more than one movie or series. Works are presented in chronological order. Films ''Highlander'' (1986) ''Highlander II: The Qui ...
, serves as a
stand-in A stand-in for film and television is a person who substitutes for the actor before filming, for technical purposes such as lighting and camera setup. Stand-ins are helpful in the initial processes of film and television production. Stand-ins a ...
for Polidori. Methos, who was
immortal Immortality is the ability to live forever, or eternal life. Immortal or Immortality may also refer to: Film * ''The Immortals'' (1995 film), an American crime film * ''Immortality'', an alternate title for the 1998 British film '' The Wisdom of ...
, was Byron's mentor, friend, and physician, and experienced the same events as the real Polidori did on that (in)famous night. *In the stop-motion animated series ''
Mary Shelley's Frankenhole ''Mary Shelley's Frankenhole'' is an American adult stop-motion animated television series created by Dino Stamatopoulos. The series premiered on June 27, 2010 on Cartoon Network's late night programming block Adult Swim. It ended on March 25 ...
'', Polidori is a regular character portrayed as the immortal lab assistant of Dr. Victor Frankenstein. *Polidori was mentioned in the ''Tales from the Crypt'' episode "Ritual". *Dr. John Polidori (portrayed by
John O'Hurley John George O'Hurley Jr. (born October 9, 1954) is an American actor, comedian, singer, author, game show host and television personality. He is known for his portrayal of J. Peterman on the NBC sitcom ''Seinfeld'', and was the sixth host of the ...
) was the antagonist of the fifth season ''
The X-Files ''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction on television, science fiction drama (film and television), drama television series created by Chris Carter (screenwriter), Chris Carter. The series revolves around Federal Bureau of Investigation ...
'' episode, "
The Post-Modern Prometheus "The Post-Modern Prometheus" is the fifth episode of the fifth season of the American science fiction television series ''The X-Files'' and originally aired on the Fox network on November 30, 1997. Written and directed by series creator Chri ...
". * Polidori was also portrayed by Noah McLaughlin in the 2016 web series ''A Ungenial Summer'',
/ref> which fictionalized the events of the summer of 1816 in the modern day. In this version, Polidori serves as a personal assistant to
Lord Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), known simply as Lord Byron, was an English romantic poet and Peerage of the United Kingdom, peer. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and h ...
, rather than physician. * In the episode of CBBC children's television show Horrible Histories (2015 TV series), Horrible Histories entitled Staggering Storytellers, Polidori was portrayed by
Jalaal Hartley Jalaal Hartley is a British television actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, a ...
in the sketch about the original of his story, ''
The Vampyre "The Vampyre" is a short work of prose fiction written in 1819 by John William Polidori taken from the story Lord Byron told as part of a contest among Polidori, Mary Shelley, Lord Byron, and Percy Shelley. The same contest produced the novel '' ...
'' and
Mary Shelley Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (; ; 30 August 1797 – 1 February 1851) was an English novelist who wrote the Gothic fiction, Gothic novel ''Frankenstein, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' (1818), which is considered an History of scie ...
's (portrayed by
Jessica Ransom Jessica Ransom (born 1 December 1981) is a British actress and writer, best known for her role as medical receptionist Morwenna Newcross in the ITV drama '' Doc Martin'' (2011–2022). She won a Children's BAFTA Award in 2015. Early life a ...
) story ''
Frankenstein ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific ex ...
'' while at
Lord Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), known simply as Lord Byron, was an English romantic poet and Peerage of the United Kingdom, peer. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and h ...
's
Villa Diodati The Villa Diodati is a mansion in the village of Cologny near Lake Geneva in Switzerland, notable because Lord Byron rented it and stayed there with John Polidori in the summer of 1816. Mary Shelley and Percy Bysshe Shelley, who had rented a house ...
in Switzerland. * Polidori is portrayed by
Maxim Baldry Maxim Alexander Baldry is an English actor. He began his career as a child actor in the film ''Mr. Bean's Holiday'' (2007). More recently, he is known for his roles in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' (2016–2017) and miniseries '' Years an ...
in the 2020 ''
Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...
'' episode "
The Haunting of Villa Diodati "The Haunting of Villa Diodati" is the eighth episode of the Doctor Who (series 12), twelfth series of the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who'', first broadcast on BBC One on 16 February 2020. It was written by Maxine Alder ...
", which depicts him as a sleepwalker.


Bibliography

* .


See also

* Rossetti–Polidori family tree


References


Sources

* Nigel Leask, "Polidori, John William (1795–1821)", ''
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...
'', Oxford University Press, 200
Retrieved 30 April 2006.
* Rieger, James. "Dr. Polidori and the Genesis of ''Frankenstein''." ''Studies in English Literature'' 3 (1963): 461-72. The origin of ''Frankenstein'' was in a conversation between John William Polidori and Percy Bysshe Shelley on June 15, 1816. * Rossetti, William Michael, ''The Diary of Dr. John William Polidori'', Elkin Matthews, 191
Retrieved 2 October 2015.Stott, Andrew McConnell. "The Poet, the Physician and the Birth of the Modern Vampire", ''The Public Domain Review''. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
*Stott, Andrew McConnell. ''The Poet and the Vampyre: The Curse of Byron and the Birth of Literature’s Greatest Monsters.'' New York: Canongate/Pegasus, 2013.


Further reading

* . * .


External links

* * *
Project Gutenberg's E-Text
of "The Vampyre" * * * . The web's first link portal devoted entirely to John William Polidori, author of "The Vampyre". * . * , starring Paul Naschy.


John Polidori Life at Keats-Shelley House.org
{{DEFAULTSORT:Polidori, John William 1795 births 1821 deaths 18th-century English people 19th-century English medical doctors 19th-century English non-fiction writers 19th-century male writers 19th-century short story writers Writers from London English medical writers English people of Italian descent British people of Italian descent Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Polidori-Rossetti family People educated at Ampleforth College Suicides by cyanide poisoning Suicides in London People with bipolar disorder Burials at St Pancras Old Church English male non-fiction writers Writers of Gothic fiction 1820s suicides 19th-century diarists English horror writers