Bookish birthdays for the week of April 14, 2024

Here are the literary birthdays to celebrate over the week of April 14, 2024.

Henry James (April 15, 1843): James wrote for over five decades — producing twenty novels (Daisy Miller and The Portrait of A Lady), over a hundred tales, twelve plays, several volumes of travel and criticism, and a great deal of literary journalism — making him one of the most prolific and influential American writers.

Anatole France (April 16, 1844): France’s output crossed a variety of literary genres, from historical fiction to romance, comedy, short stories, and biographies; his most famous works include Le Crime de Sylvestre Bonnard, At the Sign of the Reine Pédauque, and a biography of Joan of Arc.

Kingsley Amis (April 16, 1922): Amis achieved fame with his first novel, Lucky Jim, continued to produce popular books, and continues to live on, in a way, through his son, novelist Martin Amis. 

Isak Dinesen (April 17, 1885): Dinesen’s memoir Out of Africa, detailing her life as a plantation owner in Kenya, brought her the most lasting fame, though she also published several collections of narrative tales and a novel.

Thornton Wilder (April 17, 1897): Wilder is the only person to have won a Pulitzer Prize for both fiction (The Bridge of San Luis Rey) and drama (Our Town and The Skin of Our Teeth); yet another play of his, The Matchmaker, served as the inspiration for the musical Hello, Dolly!.