Laurence Sterne was an Irish novelist and Anglican cleric renowned for his novels The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman and A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy, alongside published sermons, memoirs, and an active role in local politics. Born into a military family, Sterne's upbringing involved extensive travel, predominantly within Ireland and briefly in England. An uncle sponsored his education at Hipperholme Grammar School in the West Riding of Yorkshire, during a time when Sterne's father was stationed in Jamaica, where he later succumbed to malaria.

Sterne pursued higher education at Jesus College, Cambridge, supported by a sizarship. He earned both bachelor's and master's degrees. As Vicar of Sutton-on-the-Forest, Yorkshire, he tied the knot with Elizabeth Lumley in 1741. His work A Political Romance sparked outrage within the church and led to its burning due to its ecclesiastical satire. Sterne's literary career took a significant turn with the publication of early volumes of The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, showcasing his newfound talent for writing.

In search of relief from persistent tuberculosis, Sterne travelled to France, an experience which inspired his work A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy, released weeks before his passing. His Journal to Eliza, published posthumously, reveals his romantic feelings for Eliza Draper. Sterne's demise in 1768 was followed by an unusual event; his body was stolen post-burial and sold to anatomists at Cambridge University. Recognized and reinterred, his supposed skull was discovered in the churchyard and moved to Coxwold in 1969 by the Laurence Sterne Trust.