Thomas Holcroft (1745-1809) was an English dramatist, novelist, translator and political radical whose work combined Enlightenment ideas with sharp observation of social inequality. Born into poverty and largely self-educated, he worked as a stable boy, shoemaker, actor and journalist before establishing himself in London's literary and theatrical world. His best-known play, The Road to Ruin (1792), became a lasting stage success, while The Adventures of Hugh Trevor (1794-97) drew on his own experience to examine education, ambition and the formation of character. Once prosecuted for high treason, Holcroft is now recognised as a major voice of the radical 1790s.