Answer
1768 marked the year of Laurence Sterne's passing. Sterne, an esteemed English novelist and Anglican clergyman, left an enduring legacy with his seminal work, "The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman." His innovative and unconventional writing style, characterized by digressions, interruptions, and self-referential humor, had a profound impact on the literary landscape of the 18th century.