Edward John Thompson (1886-1946) writer, was born at Hazel Grove, Stockport, the eldest son of the Reverend John Moses Thompson and his wife Elizabeth Penney. Both his parents were Wesleyan missionaries in India until 1892. His father died in 1894 leaving his mother to bring up their six children on a widow's pension. Edward was educated at Kingswood School, Bath, where he first began to write poetry. At the age of sixteen he went to work for the Midland Bank. In 1907 he attended Richmond College, graduating in 1909, and in 1910 was ordained and went to teach English literature at the Wesleyan College at Bankura, Bengal. Introducing the Arnisons (1935), and John Arnison (1939) are semi-autobiographical novels about this period of his life

Meanwhile, Edward John Thompson continued his friendship with George Lowther, a school friend, and met, and was much influenced by, William Canton, both of whom wrote almost weekly letters to Thompson, keeping him in touch with the literary world while he was in India. Two volumes of his poetry had been privately printed and he now began to learn Bengali. In 1913 he met Sir Rabindranath Tagore and wrote two books on him, studying his poems in depth and becoming the English authority on Bengali poetry

Thompson became chaplain to the 7th division in 1916, went through the Mesopotamia and Palestine campaigns and was awarded the MC. These Men Thy Friends (1927) and In Araby Orion (1930) were based on these experiences. He married Theodosia Jessup in 1919, and became the acting principal of Bankura College in 1920

Thompson resigned from the Wesleyan ministry in 1923 on his return from India, to devote himself to his writing. He was lecturer in Bengali at the University of Oxford, 1923-33, Leverhulme research fellow, 1934-6, and research fellow in Indian history at Oriel College, 1936-46. He maintained his very strong interest in India, writing, broadcasting and lecturing, returning in 1939 to write a report on the current political climate for the Rhodes Trustees. He corresponded with many Indians, most notably Nehru and Tagore (MSS. Eng. c. 5305, c. 5318)

He continued writing throughout his life, poetry, plays, novels and biographical works. Thompson died in 1946, having suffered ill health for some time. He left a widow and one son Edward Palmer Thompson; his eldest son Frank had died in 1944