The Vicar of Wakefield: A Tale, Supposed to Be Written by Himself is a 1766 sentimental novel by Anglo-Irish writer Oliver Goldsmith (1728–1774). It was written from 1761 to 1762 and published in London in 1766. It was one of the most popular and widely read 18th-century novels among the British citizenry, and remains a classic of English literature. The work also saw over 200 editions being printed during the same period and was considered a staple of English reading novels.