The Club

British intellectual group

Also known as: The Literary Club

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June 24, 2026

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The term "unclubbable" was likely coined by the 18th-century lexicographer Samuel Johnson to describe someone disinclined towards social activity or unsociable. Johnson himself established "The Club," later known as "The Literary Club," in 1764 with artist Joshua Reynolds to combat loneliness. This intellectual group, based in London, included writers, philosophers, and artists who discussed aesthetic and philosophical questions. While Johnson's definition of "clubbable" might have been tied to a person's suitability for his specific club, the term "unclubbable" highlights a disinclination for such social engagements.123

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Edward Gibbon
Life
…he was elected to the Club, the brilliant circle that the painter Sir Joshua Reynolds had formed round the writer and lexicographer Dr. Samuel Johnson. Although Johnson’s biographer, James Boswell, openly detested Gibbon, and it may be inferred that Johnson disliked him, Gibbon took an active part in the Club…
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…he was elected to the Club, the brilliant circle that the painter Sir Joshua Reynolds had formed round the writer and lexicographer Dr. Samuel Johnson. Although Johnson’s biographer, James Boswell, openly detested Gibbon, and it may be inferred that Johnson disliked him, Gibbon took an active part in the Club…
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Oliver Goldsmith
Life
…nine founder-members of the famous Club, a select body, including Reynolds, Johnson, and Burke, which met weekly for supper and talk. Goldsmith could now afford to live more comfortably, but his extravagance continually ran him into debt, and he was forced to undertake more hack work. He thus produced histories…
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…nine founder-members of the famous Club, a select body, including Reynolds, Johnson, and Burke, which met weekly for supper and talk. Goldsmith could now afford to live more comfortably, but his extravagance continually ran him into debt, and he was forced to undertake more hack work. He thus produced histories…
Read More

Samuel Johnson
Friendships and household
…friend Sir Joshua Reynolds founded The Club (later known as The Literary Club), which became famous for the distinction of its members. The original nine members included the politician Edmund Burke, the playwright Oliver Goldsmith, and Sir John Hawkins, the historian of music whom Johnson was to call “unclubable.” Boswell,…
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…friend Sir Joshua Reynolds founded The Club (later known as The Literary Club), which became famous for the distinction of its members. The original nine members included the politician Edmund Burke, the playwright Oliver Goldsmith, and Sir John Hawkins, the historian of music whom Johnson was to call “unclubable.” Boswell,…
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