Harold Bloom was an influential American literary critic and the Sterling Professor of Humanities at Yale University. With a career that spanned several decades, Bloom gained widespread recognition and became one of the most notable literary critics of his time. In 2017, he was described as "probably the most famous literary critic in the English-speaking world."

After publishing his first book in 1959, Bloom authored over 50 works, including more than 40 books of literary criticism, several books discussing religion, and one novel. He was responsible for editing hundreds of anthologies which covered a range of literary and philosophical figures for the Chelsea House publishing firm. His writings have reached audiences globally with translations into more than 40 languages.

Bloom made his mark in the field of literary criticism by staunchly defending the traditional Western canon during an era when literature departments were increasingly interested in multicultural, feminist, Marxist, and other critical perspectives, which he referred to pejoratively as the "school of resentment." He received his education from Yale University, the University of Cambridge, and Cornell University, and was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1995.