Here are seven author birthdays for this week.
Check out which authors are your favorites, and find out who shares your day.
You can find and buy the books relating to our author birthdays at the LitStack Bookshop on our list of Sharon’s Birthday Picks.
In This Week’s Author Birthdays:
Anne McCaffrey – April 1
Born on April 1, no fooling, Anne McCaffrey is an American author renowned for her captivating Dragonriders of Pern science fiction series, which achieved significant recognition. Her inaugural Pern narrative, Weyr Search, made its debut in 1967 within the pages of Analog Science Fiction and Fact under the eye of editor John W. Campbell. This tale garnered the prestigious Hugo Award for best novella in 1968. Subsequently, her follow-up work, Dragonrider, secured the esteemed Nebula Award for best novella in 1969. These accolades solidified her position as a trailblazer in literary achievement by becoming not only the first woman to claim a Hugo for fiction but also the pioneer to clinch a Nebula award.
Anne McCaffrey’s contributions to literature through Dragonriders continue to inspire awe and admiration among fans and critics alike. McCaffrey died at age 85 at her home in Ireland, following a stroke.
Sue Townsend – April 2
Born April 2, Sue Townsend, is an English writer and humorist who left an indelible mark on the literary world with her diverse body of work spanning novels, plays, and journalism. Her most iconic creation, the character Adrian Mole, quickly captured the hearts of readers worldwide. Beginning her writing journey in secrecy at just 14 years old, Townsend initially gained recognition for her plays before introducing Adrian Mole in a radio drama. The character’s popularity soared rapidly across various mediums under Townsend’s skillful penmanship.
Throughout the vibrant era of the 1980s, Townsend achieved unparalleled success as her Adrian Mole series outsold all other fiction works in Britain during that decade. Townsend died at her home on April 10, 2014, eight days after her 68th birthday, following a stroke.
Vanna Bonta – April 3
Vanna Bonta, an American writer, actress, and inventor with Italian roots, was born in Clarksville, Tennessee on April 3, 1953. Her novel Flight: A Quantum Fiction Novel was published in 1995 and received praise for its unique blend of genres. On November 13, 2013, a haiku penned by Bonta was selected as one of the top entries out of over 12,000 submissions to be sent to Mars aboard NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft launched from Cape Canaveral.
This achievement marked a significant moment in her career and showcased her talent to a wider audience. She died July 8, 2014 in Los Angeles.
Margaret Oliphant – April 4
Margaret Oliphant, the renowned Scottish novelist and historical writer known by her pen name Mrs. Oliphant, entered the world on April 4. Her literary repertoire encompassed a wide range of genres, from domestic realism to historical fiction and supernatural tales. Among her notable works in the realm of supernatural fiction is the eerie ghost story A Beleaguered City (1880), alongside a collection of short stories such as “The Open Door” and “Old Lady Mary.”
Delving into historical fiction, Oliphant crafted Magdalen Hepburn (1854) against the backdrop of the Scottish Reformation, weaving in characters like Mary, Queen of Scots and John Knox. She died at Wimbledon on 20 June 1897 from declining health following the death of her children.
Robert Bloch – April 5
Robert Bloch, born on April 5, 1917, was an American author who specialized in crafting gripping tales of crime, psychological horror, and fantasy. His works have been adapted for various forms of media such as radio, film, and television. Most notably recognized as the author of the iconic novel Psycho (1959), which served as the inspiration for Alfred Hitchcock’s renowned film adaptation. With a vast collection of over 30 novels and numerous short stories to his name, Bloch’s talent was nurtured by none other than H.P. Lovecraft himself, who saw great potential in Bloch from the start.
Bloch’s favorites among his own novels were The Kidnapper, The Star Stalker, Psycho, Night-World, and Strange Eons. He died in 1994 in his Laurel Canyon home after a long battle with cancer.
Charles R. Jackson – April 6
Charles R. Jackson was born in Summit, New Jersey on April 6, 1903. Falling ill with tuberculosis, from 1927 to 1931, Jackson was confined to sanatoriums and eventually recovered in Davos, Switzerland. His battle with tuberculosis cost him a lung and served as a catalyst for his alcoholism. In the 1940s, Jackson wrote a trio of novels, beginning with The Lost Weekend published by Farrar & Rinehart in 1944. Jackson’s second published novel of the 1940s, titled The Fall of Valor, was released in 1946. Jackson’s third novel The Outer Edges was released in 1948.
On September 21, 1968, Jackson died of barbiturate poisoning at St. Vincent’s Hospital in New York City. His death was ruled a suicide.
Donald Barthelme – April 7
Donald Barthelme Jr., a celebrated American author born on April 7, was renowned for his whimsical and postmodern approach to short fiction. Throughout his career, Barthelme crafted numerous short stories, which were compiled in collections such as City Life (1970), Sadness (1972), Amateurs (1976), Great Days (1979), and Overnight to Many Distant Cities (1983). These tales were later revisited and slightly altered for publications like Sixty Stories (1981) and Forty Stories (1987). Even after his passing, Barthelme’s work continued to enchant readers through posthumous releases like Flying to America (2007).
Though primarily known for his stories, Barthelme also produced four novels: Snow White (1967), The Dead Father (1975), Paradise (1986), and The King (1990, posthumous). He died in 1989 from throat cancer.
Other LitStack Resources
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You can find and buy the books relating to our author birthdays at the LitStack Bookshop on our list of Sharon’s Birthday Picks.
