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It is 125 years today since Yasunari Kawabata was born.
Yasunari Kawabata was a Japanese novelist and short story writer born in Osaka. He came from an educated, wealthy family, but he lost his parents at an early age and his only sibling, a sister, died when he was nine years old. These childhood traumas came to inform his writing. After growing up with his maternal grandfather in the countryside, Kawabata read English and Japanese literature at...
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It is 113 years today since Victor Canning was born.
Victor Canning was a British author of humorous adventure stories and thrillers. He was born in Plymouth, Devon. At the outbreak of the First World War, while his father was doing his military service, he went with his mother and siblings to live with his uncle in Calstock, a few miles north of Plymouth. This was where Canning fell in love with the English countryside, which features prominently...
Sample of Authors
Walcott, Derek
1930 - 2017
Derek Walcott was born in Castries on the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia. His father was a civil servant who painted and...
Further reading
Sachs, Nelly
1891 - 1970
The poet and playwright Leonie (Nelly) Sachs grew up in a Jewish family in Berlin. Her father was a wealthy manufacturer...
Further reading
Milton, John
1608 - 1674
The English poet John Milton was born in London as the son of a wealthy Catholic burgher. He attended Christ's College,...
Further reading
Johnstone, Doug
1970 -
The Scottish novelist, musician and journalist Douglas ‘Doug’ Johnstone was born in Irvine in Scotland, but grew up in the Sc...
Further reading