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.
This Week’s Author Birthdays:
Anne Frank – June 12
Anne Frank was born in Frankfurt, Germany on June 12, 1929. Although she spent most of her life in Amsterdam, she gained recognition for her diary, The Diary of a Young Girl, which documented her experiences during the Holocaust and the German occupation of the Netherlands in WWII. Anne started writing in her diary on June 12, 1942, her 13th birthday, and continued until August 1, 1944. Shortly after, German soldiers raided her hiding place, leading to the arrest of her family. They were subsequently transported to labor camps and various concentration camps.
Anne Frank died sometime in early March of 1945 at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp and was buried in a mass grave. She was 15.
William Butler Yeats – June 13
William Butler Yeats, a renowned poet, was born in Dublin, Ireland on June 13, 1865. He held a prominent position in 20th century literature and was highly respected among Irish and British writers of that era. Yeats published his first poem at the age of 17, starting his literary journey. Throughout his life, he maintained a keen interest in mysticism, spiritualism, occultism, and astrology, which may have been influenced by the captivating Irish folk tales his mother shared with him during his childhood. In 1899, Yeats played a pivotal role in establishing the Abbey Theatre, a historic theater that showcased Irish and Celtic plays.
He was bestowed with the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1923, with many considering the years that followed as the period in which he crafted his most remarkable creations. At the age of 74, he passed away in 1939.
Harriet Beecher Stowe – June 14
Harriet Beecher Stowe, a renowned author and abolitionist, entered the world on June 14, 1811, in Litchfield, Connecticut. While she penned a total of 30 books, her lasting impact rests upon the publication of her influential anti-slavery novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. This literary work ignited fervor in the North and provoked anger in the South, as evidenced by its record-breaking sales of over 300,000 copies in its inaugural year. Raised in a devoutly religious household, Stowe was fortunate to have a father who valued the education of his daughters on par with his sons.
Ms. Stowe, who is rumored to have commenced rewriting Uncle Tom’s Cabin at the age of 77, experienced dementia in her later years. She passed away at the age of 85 in 1896.
Brian Jacques – June 15
Brian Jacques, born in Liverpool, England on June 15, 1939, displayed writing talent from an early age. Despite leaving school, he explored various occupations including merchant marine, railway fireman, longshoreman, bus driver, boxer, constable, postmaster, and stand-up comic. Alongside his ventures in music and playwriting, Jacques wrote the youth novel Redwall, which tells the story of a courageous warrior mouse, specifically for the children at the Royal Wavertree School for the Blind. He first encountered these children during his milk delivery duties.
The Redwall Series, which originated from the well-known book Redwall, has achieved great popularity with over 20 million copies sold across more than 20 books. In 2011, Mr. Jacques, the author of the series, passed away at the age of 71 following emergency heart surgery.
Erich Segal – June 16
Erich Segal, born on June 16, was an American author, screenwriter, educator, and classicist. He wrote the bestselling novel Love Story, and adapted it into a successful film. Segal also published scholarly works on Greek and Latin literature and taught these subjects at Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. A marathon runner, Segal was a color commentator during the 1972 Olympics. His most memorable moment in broadcasting came when West German student Norbert Sudhaus deceitfully entered Olympic Stadium before marathon winner Frank Shorter; a visibly disturbed Segal exclaimed passionately, “That is an impostor! Get him off the track!”
In 1970, Segal’s Love Story was removed from the National Book Awards nomination list when the fiction jury threatened to quit. Later on, Segal mentioned that the book had a devastating impact on him. Battling Parkinson’s disease, Segal passed away from a heart attack in 2010 and was laid to rest in London.
James Weldon Johnson – June 17
James Weldon Johnson, a poet and activist, was born in Jacksonville, Florida on June 17, 1871. His initial successful poem, Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing, was performed by 500 school children to honor Booker T. Washington. Johnson’s brother, Rosamond, later set the poem to music, resulting in it becoming the unofficial black national anthem. In addition to publishing his own poetry, Johnson curated a significant collection of spirituals, solidifying his importance as a figure in the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s.
James went on to become a highly influential figure in the NAACP. His life came to an end in 1938 when his car was struck by a train, at the age of 67.
Roger Ebert – June 18
Roger Ebert, born on June 18, was an iconic American film critic, historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter, and author. He spent his career at the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until he passed away in 2013. Known for his warm and relatable Midwestern tone and his critical perspective rooted in populism and humanism, Ebert made a significant impact on the world of film criticism. Alongside Gene Siskel from the rival Chicago Tribune just across Michigan Avenue, Roger helped bring movie reviews into the limelight with their popular television show Siskel & Ebert.
Roger Ebert penned an impressive number of reviews, many of which have been compiled into several books. His approachable writing style and occasionally sharp humor made him a standout critic. While he seldom unleashed fully harsh critiques, his reviews of films he particularly disliked were unforgettable. Ebert joined Alcoholics Anonymous in 1979 and embraced sobriety. Sadly, in 2013, just shy of moving back home to begin hospice care, he passed away at the age of 70 in a Chicago hospital.
Other LitStack Articles and Resources
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