Birthdate: 25th January 1882
Nationality: English
Bio:
Virginia Woolf was an influential English writer and one of the foremost modernist literary figures of the 20th century. She was born in 1882 in London to Leslie and Julia Stephen, who came from prominent intellectual families. From a young age, Virginia was exposed to literature and the arts through her parents’ social circle, which included writers such as E.M. Forster. This early introduction helped spark her innate creativity and passion for writing.
Woolf suffered greatly from depression and occasional psychotic episodes throughout her life. She experienced a mental breakdown after her mother’s death in 1895 and two more following the deaths of other family members. These bouts took a toll both physically and emotionally. Woolf never fully recovered and would continue to struggle with periods of debilitating mental illness for the rest of her life. Her experiences with psychological distress are thought to have heavily influenced both the form and content of her pioneering novels which explored complex themes of memory, consciousness, and mental instability.
Despite her health issues, Woolf was a immensely talented and prolific writer. She published numerous acclaimed novels including Mrs. Dalloway, To the Lighthouse, and Orlando. She also co-founded the Hogarth Press with her husband Leonard Woolf in 1917, which published works by emerging writers and paved the way for new forms of modernist literature. On March 28, 1941, overwhelmed by depression, Woolf filled her pockets with stones and drowned herself in the River Ouse near her home in Sussex. She left behind a vast, groundbreaking body of work which established her as one of the foremost feminist authors and innovators of 20th century fiction.
