John Lyly (Lilly or Lylie; /ˈlɪli/; c. 1553 or 1554 – November 1606) was an English writer, poet, dramatist, playwright, and politician, best known for his books Euphues: The Anatomy of Wit (1578) and Euphues and His England (1580). Lyly's mannered literary style, originating in his first books, is known as euphuism.