Author: Thomas Preskett Prest

Thomas Preskett Prest (probable dates 1810-1859) was a British hack writer, journalist and musician. He was a prolific producer of penny dreadfuls. He is now remembered as the creator of the fictional Sweeney Todd, the “demon barber” immortalized in his The String of Pearls: A Romance. He has also been associated with the authorship of Varney the Vampire, now more often thought to be the work of J. M. Rymer. He wrote under pseudonyms including Bos, a takeoff of Charles Dickens” own pen name, Boz. Before joining Edward Lloyd”s publishing factory, Prest had made a name for himself as a talented musician and composer.