Dear valued friends & visitors,

To consolidate efforts and time, “Authors Brief Biographies” blog has been merged with Books Shelf Life. New posts will be populated at Life Shelf.  This existing blog site, however, will remain available.

Thank you very much for understanding.

Anthony Burgess (1917-1993)

English Novelist and Critic

A writer with incredible intellect, Anthony Burgess is best known for his novel, A Clockwork Orange, that portrays a disturbed youth who is violent and feels rejected by society.

Early Life of Anthony Burgess

Anthony Burgess was born into a Catholic family on February 25, 1917 in Manchester, U.K. His father was a pianist, and his mother was a musical comedy performer who died when Burgess was only a year old.

Read more — Anthony Burgess Brief Biography

Marguerite Duras (1914-1996)

French Novelist, Screenwriter and Playwright 

French writer Marguerite Duras wrote more than numerous novels, screenplays and plays. She is best-known for her prize-winning novel, The Lover, and her experimental works that place great emphasis on innovations regarding style. Her theme mainly explores the challenges of love in a world that affects it.

Early Life of Marguerite Duras

Duras was born Marguerite Donnadieu on April 4, 1914 in Giadinh, French Indochina, now Vietnam. Her father died when she was four, and her mother, a teacher, struggled to bring up three children.

Read more — Marguerite Duras Biography

Geoffrey Chaucer (c.1343-1400)

English Poet

Chaucer was the greatest poet of the Middle Ages, and best remembered as the author of The Canterbury Tales, one of the most important books in the history of English literature.

Life of Geoffrey Chaucer in a Nutshell

Geoffrey Chaucer was born in London c. 1343 into a prosperous wine merchant family. At the age of 16, he took part in a military expedition to France, a part of the Hundred Years’ War. He was held prisoner, captured by the French. The English king and Chaucer’s friends paid the ransom for his release.

Read more … Geoffrey Chaucer Brief Biography and Works

James Fenimore Cooper (1789-1851)

American Novelist

James Fenimore Cooper is regarded as America’s first major novelist. Famous with his classic book, The Last of the Mohicans, he is best known for his sea adventure stories and the American frontier type of novels.

Early Life of James F. Cooper

James Fenimore Cooper was born on September 15, 1789 in New Jersey, the son of a wealthy businessman and politician, grew up in Cooperstown, New York, a frontier town his father had founded. He was expelled from Yale University and went to sea before becoming a gentleman farmer.

Read more… James Fenimore Cooper Brief  Biography

O. Henry (1862-1910)

American short-Story Writer

American writer O. Henry was regarded to have “humanized the short story.” Famous for his surprise endings, the public loved his works. One of his best known collections is The Four Million that includes “The Gift of the Magi.”

In recognition of his talent an award was set up in 1918 in his name. The O. Henry Award is given each year to the author of the best story printed in an American magazine.

Brief Biography of O. Henry

William Sidney Porter was the real name of American writer O. Henry. He was born on September 11, 1862 in Greensboro, North Carolina. Poorly educated and to make ends meet, he drifted from various odd jobs. In 1882, at the age of 20, he moved to Austin, Texas.

Read more…  American short-Story Writer O. Henry

Lope de Vega (1562-1635)

Spanish Writer – Playwright, Author and Poet

Lope de Vega, a Spanish playwright and poet, is regarded as the father of Spanish national theatre or “comedia.” He popularized this dramatic form, the three-act plays in verse, which appealed to the public despite the fact that they broke all the classical rules.

Read more … Biography of Spanish Writer Lope de Vega

Thomas Paine (1737-1809)

English-born American Writer

Thomas Paine was a political philosopher who inspired the revolutions both in the U.S. and France. In his The Rights of Man, he adhered to the idea that the democratic republic is the only morally acceptable constitution. His main beliefs included the power of reason where there is freedom to debate, tolerance, equality of rights and the dignity of man.

Read more —  Thomas Paine and His Writings