Writers at a glance
| Jane Austen 1775–1817 | English novelist: Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility. She wrote about marriage and family life, and many of her books have been made into TV series or films. |
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| Charles Dickens 1812–70 | Oliver Twist, Great Expectations. People still use the names of his characters in everyday speech: a Scrooge is a mean person, and a Mr Micawber is someone who is always hopeful. |
| Robert Louis Stevenson 1850–94 | Adults and children still read his books: Treasure Island, Kidnapped, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. |
| Thomas Hardy 1840–1928 | A novelist and poet. His best-known novels are about country life: Far from the Madding Crowd, Jude the Obscure. |
| Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 1859–1930 | A Scottish doctor and writer, famous for the stories about Sherlock Holmes, one of the earliest detectives in fiction. |
| Evelyn Waugh 1903–66 | Wrote satirical novels (novels that make fun of society), such as Decline and Fall and Scoop. His most famous book is probably Brideshead Revisited. |
| Sir Kingsley Amis 1922–95 | English novelist and poet who wrote more than 20 novels. The best known is Lucky Jim. |
| Graham Greene 1904–91 | His novels were often shaped by his religious faith: Brighton Rock, The Heart of the Matter, Our Man in Havana and The Honorary Consul. |
| J K Rowling 1965– | Her Harry Potter books for children have been hugely popular around the world. She now writes novels for adults as well. |
A few of these writers come with a story. Scrooge is the main character in Dickens's A Christmas Carol, and Mr Micawber comes from David Copperfield, where he keeps saying that something will "turn up". Conan Doyle studied medicine in Edinburgh, and Sherlock Holmes's sharp powers of observation are said to be based on one of his teachers, Dr Joseph Bell. And Evelyn Waugh was a man; to make things more confusing, his first wife was also called Evelyn, and their friends called them "He-Evelyn" and "She-Evelyn".
Quiz
Which author created the characters Scrooge and Mr Micawber?
Both are Dickens characters. Calling someone a Scrooge means they are mean with money, and a Micawber is someone who never stops hoping things will get better.
Quiz
Which writer created the detective Sherlock Holmes?
Sherlock Holmes, one of the first detectives in fiction, was created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a Scottish doctor and writer. Agatha Christie is also famous for detective stories, which can be confusing, but Holmes is Conan Doyle's. Ian Fleming created James Bond, and Thomas Hardy wrote about country life.