The Liberal espoused liberal political and artistic sentiments, centred on the belief that the well-being of society and literature depended upon the successful organisation of co-operatives between individuals. In accordance with these principles, The Liberal emerged as a collaborative enterprise between Lord Byron, Leigh Hunt, and Percy Shelley. Shelley played an instrumental part in, firstly, enlisting Byron’s support and, secondly, persuading Hunt to become a partner in this publishing venture ‘in which all the contracting parties should publish all their original work, and share the profits’ (Letters, II, p. 909). Byron demonstrated his commitment to this collective periodical by breaking with John Murray, his well-appointed English publisher, and agreeing to the publication of The Vision of Judgment in the first issue of The Liberal, printed in London October 1822 by Hunt’s brother, John. Byron’s poem...
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Citation: Sandy, Mark. "The Liberal". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 25 August 2004 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=369, accessed 12 February 2026.]
