# 1808 in literature

This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1808.

## Events

* January 3 – The Examiner, "A Sunday paper, on politics, domestic economy, and theatricals", is established in London by John Hunt, edited by his brother Leigh Hunt.
* January 30 – The Théâtre St. Philippe opens in New Orleans, United States.
* September 20 – The first Theatre Royal, Covent Garden in London, established in 1732, is destroyed by fire along with most of the scenery, costumes and scripts. Rebuilding begins in December.
Uncertain date
* Charles Thomson's Bible Translation from the Greek (Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Covenant) is printed by Jane Aitken in Philadelphia (United States).

## New books
### Fiction

* James Norris Brewer – Mountville Castle
* Stéphanie Félicité, comtesse de Genlis – The Earl of Cork
* Sarah Green – Tankerville Family
* Elizabeth Hamilton – The Cottagers of Glenburnie
* Heinrich von Kleist – Die Marquise von O...
* Francis Lathom – The Northern Gallery
* Charles Maturin – The Wild Irish Boy
* Karoline Pichler – Agathocles
* Joseph Strutt – Queenhoo Hall (Completed by Walter Scott)
* Elizabeth Thomas – The Husband and Wife

### Children

* Ann Taylor and Jane Taylor – Hymns for Infant Minds

### Drama

* James Nelson Barker – The Indian Princess
* Matthäus Casimir von Collin – Belas Krieg mit dem Vater (Béla's War with His Father)
* Richard Cumberland – The Jew of Mogadore
* Johann Wolfgang von Goethe – Faust: The First Part of the Tragedy (published)
* Theodore Hook – The Siege of St Quintin
* Heinrich von Kleist
** Penthesilea
** The Broken Jug (Der zerbrochne Krug)
* Adam Oehlenschläger
** Baldur hin Gode
** Hakon Jarl
* John Tobin – The School for Authors

### Poetry

* William Blake – Milton (probable date)
* Friedrich Schiller – revised version of "Ode to Joy", which formed the basis for the lyrics of Beethoven's 9th Symphony
* Friedrich Hölderlin
** "Der Rhein"
** "Patmos"
* Walter Scott – Marmion

### Non-fiction

* Charles Fourier – The Theory of the Four Movements
* J. F. Fries – Neue oder anthropologische Kritik der Vernunft (New Critique of Reason)
* Johann Heinrich Jung – Theorie der Geisterkunde
* Karl Wilhelm Friedrich von Schlegel – Über die Sprache und Weisheit der Indier
* Gotthilf Heinrich von Schubert – Ansichten von der Nachtseite der Naturwissenschaft

## Births

* January 27 – David Strauss, German theologian and writer (died 1874)
* February 5 – Carl Spitzweg, German poet (died 1885)
* February 16 – Gustave Planche, French critic (died 1857)
* March 16 – Hannah T. King, British-born American writer and pioneer (died 1886)
* March 22 – Caroline Norton (née Caroline Sheridan), English poet, pamphleteer and social reformer (died 1877)
* March 25 – José de Espronceda, Spanish poet (died 1842)
* April 18 – Teréz Karacs, Hungarian novelist, poet and memoirist (died 1892)
* May 22 – Gérard de Nerval, French poet and translator (died 1855)
* June 17 – Henrik Wergeland, Norwegian poet (died 1845)
* June 21 – John Critchley Prince, English poet (died 1866)
* June 22 – Xavier Marmier, French writer and translator (died 1892)
* June 28 – James Spedding, English author and editor (died 1881)
* July 10 – Solomon Northup, African-American memoirist (died c. 1864)
* September 9 – Wendela Hebbe, Swedish playwright, journalist and novelist (died 1899)
* October 21 – Julia Maitland, English writer on India and children's writer (died 1864)
* November 2 – Jules Amédée Barbey d'Aurevilly, French novelist (died 1889)
* Unknown date – Harriet Ward, English non-fiction and fiction writer (died 1873)

## Deaths

* February 12 – Anna Maria Bennett, English novelist (born c. 1760)
* April 4 – Lady Charlotte Murray, English writer and botanist (born 1854)
* May 2 – John Collins, English poet and entertainer (born 1742)
* September 5 – John Home, Scottish poet (born 1722)
* September 13 – Saverio Bettinelli, Italian man of letters (born 1718)
* September 25 – Richard Porson, English classicist (born 1757)
* November 4 – Melchiore Cesarotti, Italian poet (born 1730)
* December 28 – John Duncan, English miscellanist (born 1721)
* c. November/December – Nólsoyar Páll, Faroese merchant and poet, lost at sea (born 1766)
Uncertain date
* Maria Riddell – West Indies-born poet, naturalist and travel writer (born 1772)