Aaron Trow

First published in 1863, ‘Aaron Trow’ follows the plight of convict Aaron, who has been sent to prison in Bermuda for the murder of a man during a strike in England. He escapes and breaks into the home of Anastasia Bergen who is home alone, demanding food, drink and money. When she refuses to give him money, a scuffle ensues which will have far-reaching and dramatic consequences. A departure from Anthony Trollope’s more usual subject matter, ‘Aaron Trow’ is nevertheless a gripping short story from the much-loved author.

Anthony Trollope (1815 – 1882) was a Victorian writer and author of 47 novels. He also wrote an autobiography, short stories and plays, travel articles, reviews and lectures. A prolific writer, he made no secret of the fact that money was his motivation for writing – an admission which raised eyebrows among his literary contemporaries at the time. The amount of works Trollope authored are testament to his belief in hard work. His first successful novel was The Warden followed by its sequel, Barchester Towers. The Chronicles of Barsetshire are perhaps his most well-known series of novels, though many of his works have been adapted for TV and radio, starring many familiar faces such as Alan Rickman, David Tennant, Bill Nighy and Tom Hollander. Alongside his literary career, Trollope also worked for some time for the Post Office and is credited with the introduction of the iconic post box to Britain. A memorial to Anthony Trollope was unveiled in Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey in 1993.