Arts and culture

The United Kingdom has made an extraordinary contribution to world culture — in literature, music, visual art, architecture, film, and fashion. British creative traditions continue to shape and influence the world today.

Britain has produced some of the most celebrated writers in the English language.

William Shakespeare (1564–1616) is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language. Born in Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, he wrote 37 plays and 154 sonnets. His works — including Hamlet, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Romeo and Juliet, and The Merchant of Venice — explore themes of love, power, jealousy, ambition, and morality that remain as relevant today as when they were written.

Robert Burns (1759–1796) is Scotland's national poet. Born in Alloway in Ayrshire, he wrote poems and songs in the Scottish dialect, including "Auld Lang Syne" — sung at New Year celebrations around the world — and "To a Mouse". Burns Night is celebrated on 25 January each year, with haggis, poetry, and Scottish music.

• Jane Austen (1775–1817) — Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility; known for wit and social observation
• Charles Dickens (1812–1870) — Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, Great Expectations; portrayal of Victorian life and social injustice
• Roald Dahl (1916–1990) — Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda
• J.K. Rowling (born 1965) — Harry Potter series; one of the best-selling book series of all time
• Dylan Thomas (1914–1953) — Welsh poet; Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night

Notable British composers include:

• Henry Purcell (1659–1695) — Dido and Aeneas
• George Frideric Handel (1685–1759) — born in Germany, became a British citizen; Messiah, Music for the Royal Fireworks
• Gustav Holst (1874–1934) — The Planets
• Edward Elgar (1857–1934) — Enigma Variations; Land of Hope and Glory
• Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958) — The Lark Ascending

The BBC Proms is an annual summer festival of classical music at the Royal Albert Hall in London — the world's largest classical music festival.

• The Beatles — from Liverpool; the best-selling music act of all time
• The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Elton John — global icons of British popular music
• Adele, Ed Sheeran, Amy Winehouse — acclaimed contemporary British artists

Major institutions:

• The National Gallery — London; Western European paintings
• Tate Modern — London; modern and contemporary art
• The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) — London; decorative arts and design

Notable artists:

• J.M.W. Turner (1775–1851) — dramatic landscapes and seascapes; the Turner Prize is named in his honour
• John Constable (1776–1837) — the Hay Wain (1821)
• Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin — leading Young British Artists (YBAs) of the 1990s

• Sir Christopher Wren — designed St Paul's Cathedral (completed 1710) after the Great Fire of London
• Inigo Jones — introduced Palladian architecture to Britain in the 17th century
• Charles Rennie Mackintosh — Scottish architect; Glasgow Style

• The BBC — founded in 1927; world's oldest national broadcasting organisation; funded by the television licence fee
• BAFTA — awards excellence in British film and television annually
• Famous British film franchises: James Bond, Harry Potter, Wallace and Gromit

Up next: Leisure — explore how people in the UK spend their free time, from eating out and gardening to theatres and libraries.