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It is 184 years today since Thomas Hardy was born.
The English author Thomas Hardy was born in Stinsford near Dorchester in Dorset, the son of a stonemason and local builder. Hardy trained as an architect before moving to London when he was twenty-two years old. He returned to Dorset where he began to write his first novel. Hardy was interested in the writings of Charles Darwin and in naturalism. During his long life he became famous for his...
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It is 111 years today since Barbara Pym was born.
Barbara Mary Crampton Pym was born in Oswestry, Shropshire, near the Welsh border where she grew up with her younger sister Hilary. Her father was a lawyer and her mother the organist in the local church. Many of the vicars and lay clergy that visited their home later turned up in Pym's books. She was privately educated, first at a girl's school and later at boarding school. After reading...
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It is 75 years today since Ingrid Hedström was born.
TThe Swedish journalist and author Ingrid Hedström were born in Söderhamn in the central Swedish province of Hälsingland, and then moved to Avesta in nearby Dalarna when she was five years old. She is said to be one of the 1960’s so-called "welfare-state princesses", meaning that she was the first in her family to graduate from high school. She completed her final exam at Avesta Grammar School in...
Sample of Authors
Pynchon, Thomas
1937 -
One of America's most celebrated authors, Thomas Pynchon, grew up in Glen Cove on Long Island together with his brother...
Further reading
Parrish, P.J.
1950 -
Joint pen name for American sisters Kristy "Kris" Montee (b. 1950) and Kelly Nichols (b. 1953), who have cowritten a series...
Further reading
Follett, Ken
1949 -
British author and journalist born in Cardiff, Wales. Kenneth "Ken" Follett’s parents were active members of the church of t...
Further reading
Doctorow, E.L.
1931 - 2015
American author of Russian-Jewish descent who grew up in the Bronx where his father owned a record store and his mother was...
Further reading