Here are this week’s 7 Author Birthdays. 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:
Here are seven author birthdays for this week.
Check out which authors are your favorites, and find out who shares your day.
Gaston Leroux – May 6
This Day’s Author Birthday, Gaston Louis Alfred Leroux, a renowned French journalist and detective fiction author, entered the world on May 6. He gained international recognition in English-speaking countries for his iconic novel The Phantom of the Opera, which has inspired numerous film and stage adaptations. Leroux also ventured into the realm of film production in 1918, co-founding Société des Cinéromans with René Navarre. This endeavor led to the release of two notable films, Tue-la-Mort and Il était deux petits enfants, featuring his daughter in a prominent role.
Following his departure from journalism in 1907, Gaston Leroux turned to fiction writing after a taxing experience covering a volcanic eruption and being promptly assigned another task without vacation or respite. Leroux’s renowned masterpiece, The Phantom of the Opera, was serialized between 1909 and 1910 before being published as a book in 1910 (with an English version released in 1911). Leroux passed away at the age of 58 in Nice, France, in 1927.
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala – May 7
This Day’s Author Birthday, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, a celebrated British and American novelist and screenwriter, was born on May 7. She is renowned for her collaboration with Merchant Ivory Productions, consisting of film director James Ivory and producer Ismail Merchant. Jhabvala penned scripts for over 20 Merchant-Ivory films, notably crafting adaptations of E.M. Forster’s beloved works A Room with a View (1985) and Howards End (1992), both of which received Academy Awards for best adapted screenplay. Additionally, her screenplay for Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day (1993) earned Jhabvala her third Oscar nomination.
During her lifetime, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala wrote 12 novels and 8 collections of short stories. Among her works, Heat and Dust is the sole novel depicting India during the time of the Raj. It earned her the prestigious Booker Prize. She remains the only individual to have been awarded both a Booker Prize and an Oscar. Jhabvala passed away in her New York City residence on April 3, 2013 at the age of 85. Director James Ivory and the late producer Ismail Merchant expressed deep sorrow over her loss, emphasizing the significant impact she had on the global film community.
Edward Gibbon – May 8
Edward Gibbon, born on May 8th, was a versatile English figure known for his roles as an essayist, historian, and politician. His renowned masterpiece, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, was published in six volumes from 1776 to 1789. This work is celebrated for its eloquent prose filled with irony, meticulous use of primary sources, and bold critique of organized religion. In his early years, Gibbon faced numerous health challenges and described himself as a neglected child struggling for care. Following the passing of his beloved Aunt Kitty, he fondly remembered her as a guiding light who ignited his passion for knowledge and literature – a flame that still burns brightly in his life today.
On May 8, 1794, the renowned figure known as the English giant of the Enlightenment passed away due to peritonitis at 12:45 pm. At the age of 56, he was laid to rest in the Sheffield Mausoleum located beside the north transept of the Church of St Mary and St Andrew in Fletching, East Sussex.
Richard Adams – May 9
Richard George Adams, an English novelist known for works such as Watership Down, Maia, Sharkik, and The Plague Dogs, was born on May 9. He pursued a degree in modern history at Oxford University before serving in the British Army during World War II. Following the war, he continued his education and later joined the British Civil Service. Despite being busy with work and family life (he got married in 1949), Adams did not start writing until 1966. It was during a car journey with his daughters that he began narrating a tale about a group of rabbits, which prompted them to encourage him to write it down.
Adams campaigned against furs, and Adams wrote The Plague Dogs to satirize animal experimentation (as well as government and tabloid press). Adams died on 24 December 2016 at the age of 96 in Oxford, England from complications of a blood disorder.
Ariel Durant – May 10
Ariel Durant, a Russian-born American researcher and writer, entered the world on May 10. She co-authored, alongside her husband Will Durant, the acclaimed work The Story of Civilization. Their collaboration earned them the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction. The couple embraced parenthood with one daughter named Ethel and a foster son named Louis, whose mother was Flora – Ariel’s sister. In a nod to her admiration for Shakespeare’s character from The Tempest, Ariel Durant officially changed her first name to Ariel. She found inspiration in the character’s strength, bravery like a boy, and mischievousness akin to an elf.
Ariel and Will Durant co-authored a 420-page autobiography, titled A Dual Autobiography in 1978. Tragically, they passed away within a fortnight of each other in 1981 and now rest side by side at the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.
Stanley Elkin – May 11
Stanley Lawrence Elkin, an American novelist, short story writer, and essayist, came into the world on May 11. Among his notable works are Criers and Kibitzers, Kibitzers and Criers, Searches and Seizures, The Magic Kingdom, and The Franchiser. His bold and satirical fiction delves into themes of American consumerism, popular culture, and relationships between the sexes. Despite his tendency towards parody and dark humor, Elkin was often hailed as a perceptive realist by many admirers.
Stanley Elkin delved into the core of human suffering, examining the profound pain that defines our existence. His battle with multiple sclerosis intensified his exploration of mortality and anguish. He passed away at Jewish Hospital in St. Louis at the age of 65, residing in University City, Mo. According to his daughter, Molly, he succumbed to heart failure.
George Carlin – May 12
Born May 12, George Carlin was an American comedian, actor, author, and social critic, celebrated as a trailblazer in stand-up comedy. Known as the dean of counterculture comedians, his impact was so profound that in 2008 he was posthumously honored with the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. He placed as the second greatest American comedian on Comedy Central’s esteemed list in 2004 and Rolling Stone magazine’s also ranked him as the second best stand-up comedian of all time in 2017—both times falling just behind the legendary Richard Pryor.
During his appearance on Inside the Actors Studio, George Carlin revealed that he found reading about language to be a major source of inspiration. He also expressed pride in the fact that nearly 1 million copies of his books had been sold, highlighting this as a significant achievement in his career. On June 22, 2008, at the age of 71, Carlin passed away due to heart failure at Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California, just one week after his last performance at The Orleans Hotel and Casino.
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.
