Robert Phillipe Noonan, who is better known by his pen name Robert Tressell, was an Irish writer born on April 17, 1870, in Dublin, Ireland. He is best known for his novel ""The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists,"" a significant work of social realism. Tressell's early adulthood was spent in South Africa, where he worked in various manual labor jobs, experiences that later influenced his writing. His life was marked by personal and professional struggles, and he faced hardship throughout his career. Tressell's work is largely focused on the themes of class disparity, labor, and the exploitation of the working class, reflecting his own experiences and observations. Unfortunately, he did not see much success during his lifetime and passed away at the young age of 40 on February 3, 1911, in Liverpool, United Kingdom. His resting place is at the Liverpool Parochial Cemetery (Walton Park Cemetery). Though he lived a brief life, his work has had a lasting impact on literature, particularly in the realm of social critique and the representation of working-class struggles. Tressell had one child.