Biography

Inspired by female iconic authors

Virginia Woolf

‘’No need to hurry. No need to sparkle. No need to be anyone but oneself.’’

By Miranda Imeri – Eighth Grade – First Place

Introduction

Virginia Woolf is best known for her novels Mrs. Dalloway (1925) and To the Lighthouse (1927). She experimented with several forms of biographical writing, composed painterly short fictions, and sent to her friends and family a lifetime of brilliant letters.

Life

Adeline Virginia Stephen was born on January 25th, 1882, Kensington, London, United Kingdom. She was born into a affluent household of South Kensington. She was the seventh child of her mother, Julia Prinsep Jackson, and her father, Leslie Stephen in a blended family of eight which included the modernist painter, Vanessa Bell. She was homeschooled in English classics and Victorian Literature since youth. Virginia attended Ladies’ Department of King’s College from 1897 to 1901, where she studied classics and history and came into contact with early reformers of women's higher education and the women’s rights movement.

Virginia was encouraged by her father and became a professional writer in 1900, after her father’s passing in 1904, the Stephens family moved from Kensington to Bloomsbury, where they formed their artistic and literary Bloomsbury Group.

In 1912 Virginia got married to Leonard Woolf, and in 1917, the couple founded the Hogarth Press, which published many of her work. The couple rented a home in Sussex and moved there permanently twentythree years later. Virginia had romantic relationships with women, including Vita Sackville-West, who published her books through Hogarth Press. Virginia’s and Vita’s literature was inspired by their relationship, which lasted until Virginia’s death.

Most famous written book

Mrs. Dalloway is her most well recognized book she ever wrote, it was originally entitled the hours. In her introduction in the Modem Library Edition. According to Virginia’s preface, "Septimus, who subsequently is intended to be her counterpart, seemed to have no existence" in the initial draft of Mrs. Dalloway.

Awards

Despite her achievements, there are no records of Virginia winning any awards, even though many people said she deserved to win a Nobel Prize.

Important events in her life

One of her most memorable moments was when she joined the Suffrage Movement

Curious fact

Virginia actually wrote a biographical novel… about a dog! It’s Flush (1933)

Death

Virginia died on March 23rd, 1941, at 59 years old in Lewes, England, United Kingdom from suicide after reportedly drowning herself in the River Ouse at Lewes. She has and will continue to inspire many novelists in her legacy.

Virginia Woolf

“Books are the mirrors of the soul.” - Virginia Woolf

By Jimena Valladares – Eighth Grade – First Place

Born: January 25, 1882, Kensington, London, United Kingdom

Died: March 28, 1941, Lewes, UK (Suicide)

Works: Freshwater

Siblings: Vanessa Bell, Gerald Duckworth, Thoby Stephen, Adrian Stephen, George Herbert Duckworth, Stella Duckworth, Laura Makepeace Stephen

Spouse: Leonard Woolf (d. 1912–1941)

Parents: Leslie Stephen, Julia Prinsep Stephen

Adeline Virginia Stephen (her birth name) or well known as Virginia Woolf (as her name of wife) was a British writer, author of novels, short stories, plays and other literary works. She was and is pretty recognized because of avant-garde Anglo-Saxon modernism of the 20th century and international feminism. She wasn’t well received because at that time women were excluded and mistreated. But then at 1970’s she became famous again because at that time women started to fight against their rights, they used Virginia’s quotes in their protests, the most used quote of Virginia’s at that time was one of her book called “A room of one's own” the phrase was this: "A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is going to write fiction".

Life

Adeline Virginia Stephen was born in 1882, her father, Leslie Stephen and her mother Julia Stephen, she had stepbrothers and stepsisters product of other marriages of her parents. Despite this, his parents decided to have 4 more children (including Virginia), highlighting her sister Vanessa, with whom she had a strong and unique relationship throughout her life. It should be noted that Virginia didn’t go to school because she was educated at home, which did not matter much, thanks to the fact that her parents had brilliant friends that taught her. Virginia was educated with them, and at home she had a huge library where she and Vannesa spent time being influenced by great books.

After the death of Virginia's father, she had a severe depression which was admitted to a hospital. It’s discovered that she suffers from bipolar disorder. Despite that it never affected her literary career

Career

Virginia started writing for the “Times Literary Supplement” about the “Haworth” home of the Brontë family. Her first novel was called “Voyage's End”; it was published in 1915 by her stepbrother's publisher, Gerald Duckworth and Company Ltd. After this it was possible to appreciate that Virginia broke with the schemes of the society of that time, coming to write several works on feminism, on the living conditions of women and the lack of their rights and certain lesbian writings such as "Orlando " which was a kind of biography of the life of Vita who was very fond of her. Vita’s son, who considered that “Orlando” was “The longest and most charming love letter in the history of literature.”

Death

In the end, Virginia was tired of living (because of her bipolarity and depression) and on March 28, 1941 Woolf committed suicide. She put on her coat, stuffed stones into her pockets and jumped into the River Ouse until she finally drowned.

Awards:

- Femina-Vie Heureuse Award (1928)

- The Hours (1998) was a 1999 Pulitzer Prize winner.

Jane Austen

By Ashlee Diéguez

Eighth Grade

Second Place

Jane Austen was an outstanding female voice in a society where literature was dominated by men. Her novels revolutionized the feminine thought of the time, because with her writings she intended to break with the imposed social patterns; she used her critical thinking to deliver a message and make a big impact. Jane's novels reflect the world of English gentry and rural beauty of the time, as she herself lived it.

Jane Austen was a British novelist who was born on December 16, 1775 in Stevenson, a small town in northwest Hampshire, England, where she grew up.

She belonged to a bourgeois family, which gave her the freedom not to choose a husband to dedicate herself body and soul to her profession. His father, George Austen, along with his wife, Cassandra Leigh, had eight children, six boys and two girls, in whom he instilled a love of books. Jane was a woman with a great sense of humor, somewhat ironic, very close to her only sister Cassandra and she liked to dance a lot. Jane was educated at home and taught by her father, who taught other children how to earn an income. He also spent a short time in Sunday school.

Famous book

His most famous and world-renowned book is "Pride and Prejudice". First published in January 1813, it revolves around the Bennet family.

In life, unfortunately, she did not receive any award as a writer. But some of the adaptations of his books have been nominated and awarded.

Austen published her first novel, "Sense and Sensibility" in 1811. During the 1790s she wrote the first drafts of Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, and Northanger Abbey. Between 1810 and 1817 she revised her first three novels and wrote another three: Mansfield Park, Emma, and Persuasion.

Life

A curious fact about Austen's life is that Jane fell in love during her youth with Thomas Lefroy, the Irish relative of a friend of hers. Lefroy has been considered the frustrated love of the writer and it is said that she used him multiple times as an inspiration when writing.

After that she fell ill in 1816, possibly with Addison's disease, and in the summer of 1817 her family took her to Winchester for medical treatment. Nothing could be done for her, and she died on July 18, 1817 in Winchester, UK.

Jane will always be remembered as one of the greatest writers of all time, who captivated millions of readers with her stories, and captivated many hearts with her writing style and creativity.

Virginia Woolf

“Books are the mirrors of the soul.” - Virginia Woolf

By Natalia Alvarez

Eighth Grade

Third Place

Born: January 25, 1882, Kensington, London, United Kingdom

Died: March 28, 1941, Lewes, UK (Suicide)

Works: Freshwater

Siblings: Vanessa Bell, Gerald Duckworth, Thoby Stephen, Adrian Stephen, George Herbert Duckworth, Stella Duckworth, Laura Makepeace Stephen

Spouse: Leonard Woolf (d. 1912–1941)

Parents: Leslie Stephen, Julia Prinsep Stephen

Adeline Virginia Stephen (her birth name) or well known as Virginia Woolf (as her name of wife) was a British writer, author of novels, short stories, plays and other literary works. She was and is pretty recognized because of avant-garde Anglo-Saxon modernism of the 20th century and international feminism. She wasn’t well received because at that time women were excluded and mistreated. But then at 1970’s she became famous again because at that time women started to fight against their rights, they used Virginia’s quotes in their protests, the most used quote of Virginia’s at that time was one of her book called “A room of one's own” the phrase was this: "A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is going to write fiction".

Life

Adeline Virginia Stephen was born in 1882, her father, Leslie Stephen and her mother Julia Stephen, she had stepbrothers and stepsisters product of other marriages of her parents. Despite this, his parents decided to have 4 more children (including Virginia), highlighting her sister Vanessa, with whom she had a strong and unique relationship throughout her life. It should be noted that Virginia didn’t go to school because she was educated at home, which did not matter much, thanks to the fact that her parents had brilliant friends that taught her. Virginia was educated with them, and at home she had a huge library where she and Vannesa spent time being influenced by great books.

After the death of Virginia's father, she had a severe depression which was admitted to a hospital. It’s discovered that she suffers from bipolar disorder. Despite that it never affected her literary career

Career

Virginia started writing for the “Times Literary Supplement” about the “Haworth” home of the Brontë family. Her first novel was called “Voyage's End”; it was published in 1915 by her stepbrother's publisher, Gerald Duckworth and Company Ltd. After this it was possible to appreciate that Virginia broke with the schemes of the society of that time, coming to write several works on feminism, on the living conditions of women and the lack of their rights and certain lesbian writings such as "Orlando " which was a kind of biography of the life of Vita who was very fond of her. Vita’s son, who considered that “Orlando” was “The longest and most charming love letter in the history of literature.”

Death

In the end, Virginia was tired of living (because of her bipolarity and depression) and on March 28, 1941 Woolf committed suicide. She put on her coat, stuffed stones into her pockets and jumped into the River Ouse until she finally drowned.

Awards:

- Femina-Vie Heureuse Award (1928)

- The Hours (1998) was a 1999 Pulitzer Prize winner.

Article

Nineth Grade

Article Inspired by J.K. Rowling