is one of the most famous writers of his time, published countless books (the Father Brown detective series among them), essays, and columns for newspapers such as the Illustrated London News and the Daily News. The ‘prince of paradox’, he wrote literary and social critique with a humorous and satirical edge, and his essays on economics, philosophy, and theology converted him into a popular, yet feared author. Chesterton, who joined the Catholic Church towards the end of his life, resisted all systems and -isms, which, according to him, threatened the happiness of the ordinary man. His essay, ‘A Defence of China Shepherdesses’, is part of the essay collection, The Defendant (1901). [110609]