The surprising ’hot air balloon’ mania of Romantic literature

A national obsession with hot air balloons has left a surprising mark on English literature from the late eighteenth century, according to an Oxford University academic. Fiona Stafford, Professor of English Language and Literature at Oxford University, found repeated references to balloons while researching for a book on the history of Romantic literature from 1785 to 1830. She said the 'balloon mania' which took place between 1783 and 1786 could change our understanding of when 'modern celebrity' began, as the balloon craze, and its early aeronautical heroes, predates Byron and Nelson. 'I am researching a book on the history of English Literature from 1785 to 1830 and, because it is such an important period of history, I decided to look at major events and stories which might connect writers,' said Professor Stafford. 'Some of the events that had a profound effect on novels and poems were unsurprising, such as the French Revolution and the campaign for the Abolition of the Slave trade. But again and again I found that very different writers, who would not normally be read alongside each other, were united by a fascination with balloons. 'Robert Burns mentioned a Lunardi bonnet, named after an Italian aeronaut, in his poem, To A Louse .