George Sand breaks free of convention
On this day in 1804 was born the French writer Armandine Aurore Lucille Dudevant (nee Dupin), whose pseudonym was George Sand. This rebellious, cross-dressing, cigar-smoking,... Read More
John Gay writes The Beggar’s Opera
On this day in 1685 the English poet and dramatist John Gay was born. Gay seems to have been a man who made friends easily... Read More
Elizabeth Barrett Browning, the little Portuguese
On this day in 1861 the writer and poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning died aged fifty-five. Considered one of the leading poets of the Victorian era,... Read More
King Henry VIII – reformation or deformation ?
On this day in 1491 the future King Henry VIII of England was born. The damage that this appalling man did to so many people... Read More
Helen Keller comes out of the dark
On this day in 1880 the American writer and activist Helen Keller was born in Alabama. At the age of nineteen months, Keller suffered a... Read More
Andre Maurois fights the Nazis
On this day in 1885 the French writer and politician Andre Maurois was born. Maurois spent time in Britain before the fall of France in... Read More
