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Female Author Spotlight

Agatha Christie

Birthdate: September 15, 1890

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Torquay, Devon, England

Died: January 12, 1976

Even after four decades after her death, Agatha Christie remains an influential figure in the world of literature and entertainment as most of her books continue to serve as inspiration to films, TV series, and video games. With over two billion copies of her novels sold, she holds the Guinness World Records for best-selling fiction writer of all time.

Jane Austen

Birthdate: December 16, 1775

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Steventon, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom

Died: July 18, 1817

Considered one of the greatest writers in English history, Jane Austen is best known for her six major novels - Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Persuasion and Northanger Abbey. Her writing was set among the British landed gentry and dealt with ordinary people in everyday ordinary situation. The author achieved great fame after her death. 

Virginia Woolf

Birthdate: January 25, 1882

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Kensington, London, England

Died: March 28, 1941

Virginia Woolf was an English writer who pioneered a narrative mode called stream of consciousness to describe the thoughts and feelings of the narrator. Regarded as one of the most prominent modernist 20th-century writers, Woolf's works have gained much attention for inspiring feminism. Her life and work have inspired several films, novels, and plays.

Sylvia Plath

Birthdate: October 27, 1932

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Died: February 11, 1963

Sylvia Plath was an American short-story writer, novelist, and poet. Plath is credited with popularizing confessional poetry and won a posthumous Pulitzer Prize in Poetry. Sylvia Plath achieved popularity and critical acclaim despite suffering from clinical depression for the most part of her adult life. Her story inspired the 2003 film Sylvia in which she was portrayed by Gwyneth Paltrow.

Emily Dickinson

Birthdate: December 10, 1830

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Amherst, Massachusetts, United States

Died: May 15, 1886

Victorian-era poet Emily Dickinson apparently wrote around 1800 poems, mostly revolving around themes such as death and immortality. However, she was a recluse, dressed up in white, and mostly interacted with people through correspondence. Her poems were mostly without titles and had short lines, slant rhyme, and unconventional punctuation.

Mary Shelley

Birthdate: August 30, 1797

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Somers Town, London, England

Died: February 1, 1851

An author who was admired for her exploration of the Gothic genre, Mary Shelley is best remembered for her novel Frankenstein. She also edited the works of her husband, Romantic poet P.B. Shelley. She lost her husband to a drowning accident and eventually passed away due to brain tumor.

Harper Lee

Birthdate: April 28, 1926

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Monroeville, Alabama, United States

Died: February 19, 2016

Harper Lee was an American novelist who wrote the Pulitzer Prize-winning classic To Kill a Mockingbird. Despite publishing only two books, Lee was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her contribution to literature, such was her impact in the world of literature. A friend of Truman Capote, Lee has been portrayed by popular actresses in Capote's biographical films.

Margaret Atwood

Birthdate: November 18, 1939

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Ottawa, Canada

Margaret Atwood is a Canadian poet and novelist. Her works encompass themes, such as religion and myth, climate change, and gender and identity. An award-winning writer, many of Atwood's works have been made into films and television series; her work, The Handmaid's Tale, has had several adaptations. Perhaps, Margaret Atwood's most important contribution is her invention of the LongPen device.

Louisa May Alcott

Birthdate: November 29, 1832

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Germantown, Pennsylvania, United States

Died: March 6, 1888

Novelist and short story writer Louisa May Alcott is best remembered as the author of the 1868 novel Little Women and its sequels, Little Men and Jo's Boys. She initially wrote using the pseudonym “A. M. Barnard.” She never married and remained a life-long feminist and abolitionist.

Charlotte Bronte

Birthdate: April 21, 1816

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Thornton, Yorkshire, England

Died: March 31, 1855

Charlotte Bronte, remembered for her iconic novel Jane Eyre, was one of the most significant literary figures of the 19th century. She was the eldest of the Bronte sisters who survived into adulthood. She and her sisters Emily and Anne wrote under the pseudonyms Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell.

 

Emily Brontë

Birthdate: July 30, 1818

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Thornton, West Yorkshire

Died: December 19, 1848

Victorian novelist/poet Emily Brontë, also known as Ellis Bell, is best remembered for her iconic novel Wuthering Heights. Her book of poems, written with her sisters Charlotte and Anne, was titled Poems by Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell, highlighting their pseudonyms. She suffered from prolonged illness and died of tuberculosis.

Shirley Jackson

Birthdate: December 14, 1916

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: San Francisco, California, United States

Died: September 8, 1965

Shirley Jackson redefined the genres of horror and mystery through her works, which include over 200 short stories and six novels. Her iconic novel The Haunting of Hill House was made into a popular Netflix series and several movies, including the 1963 and 1999 versions of The Haunting. 

Anne Frank

Birthdate: June 12, 1929

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Frankfurt, Germany

Died: March 12, 1945

One of the numerous Jewish victims of the Holocaust, Anne Frank gained recognition posthumously after her diary Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl was published. The diary, which has been widely read and translated into numerous other languages, details the lives of Anne Frank and her family when they went into hiding for two years, after Germany occupied Netherlands.

Helen Keller

Birthdate: June 27, 1880

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Tuscumbia, Alabama, United States

Died: June 1, 1968

A prolific author, having written 12 published books and several articles, Helen Keller was the first deaf-blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. Her autobiography, The Story of My Life, made Keller famous and was adapted for film and stage. She was also an activist and campaigned for women's suffrage, labour rights, socialism and other such causes.

Laura Ingalls Wilder

Birthdate: February 7, 1867

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Pepin County, Wisconsin, United States

Died: February 10, 1957

Laura Ingalls Wilder authored the iconic Little House children’s book series, including the novel Little House on the Prairie, based on her family’s life in Wisconsin, which was later adapted for many stage and screen versions. She is also known for her autobiography, Pioneer Girl, and many posthumously published books.

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